The Fox's Shadow
by Afroman007
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki isn't as alone as you might think. He has a 'shadow' that won't seem to leave him alone. What IS this shadow? And what does it have to do with Naruto? Mystery, Action, Comedy, Adventure, and Romance rolled into One! Smarter Naruto, and unique pairing for Naruto: see more inside!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 01**

He walked down the street absent-mindedly kicking an old discarded can, trying desperately to ignore the heated glares that followed him as he continued to his destination. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he glanced at a nearby window where he frowned at his reflection.

Sun-kissed blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and three whisker-like markings on either side of his cheeks greeted him. As if the dirt and grime on his face wasn't enough, the furrowing of his brow definitely did not add to his appeal.

As he peered more closely at his reflection he noted a few more things that made him sigh. His shirt was starting to tear, (which was a major problem because he only had _one_ extra shirt at home) his pants had holes dotted about them, (no doubt from the frequent falls he _always_ seemed to make) and his sandals: well, needless to say…He wasn't happy about the strap on his left one that refused to stay locked in place.

He rubbed a hand through his locks in resignation and continued down the road. Good thing too, because the owner of the shop in question had just appeared at the doorway, scowling at him.

Continuing on his lonely trek, the boy didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the fact that _everyone_ within sight of him seemed to scurry off in his wake. As if a six-year-old boy could do _anything_ to threaten them. Well, that wasn't _entirely_ true. He may have accidentally dropped a few stink bombs in strategic places along the most traveled road in the village…but, honestly: who was keeping score?

He walked another five paces before he whipped around in agitation and glared at his surroundings. The villagers who were privy to his stare paled and quickly scampered out of sight, while muttering not-so-desirable things about him. However, the boy paid them no mind. He was too busy scanning the street, buildings, and alleys for his 'shadow'.

What shadow, you ask?

That question was the very same one that had plagued the boy for the last week and a half. Everyday he would take to the streets, the park, the library, (which he was quickly booted out of each time) and other places in the village, only to feel a persistent nagging that something, or even more frightening: _someone_ was following him. They never did anything to him, but that didn't make the boy feel any better. In fact, he was more concerned that the moment he let his guard down, even for a moment, his 'shadow' would do something.

He continued looking around for about a minute longer, before he huffed in frustration and went back to his stroll. It was like this every time. He would feel the 'shadow'; turn around to confront it, only to meet with…absolutely nothing. It was getting to the point where he was tempted to go see the Old Man and let him know about it.

The boy sighed. He couldn't tell the Old Man. As nice as he always was to him, the boy knew he was always busy. He couldn't be bothered with something that the boy was sure he would consider 'minor'. The 'shadow' was here to stay, until further notice, it seemed.

The boy continued walking until he arrived in a more run-down section of the village. He knew better than to make eye contact with the various occupants of the area, unless he was asking for trouble. The women who seemed to always be standing on the corners and next to run down buildings were always friendly, but the boy didn't like the men who always seemed to linger around them. They would glare and shout rude things at him; as if he had done something to them they could _never_ forgive. A year and a half of living in this place had taught him the hard way that if he kept to himself, he would be MUCH better off.

At last, the boy arrived at what had to be the most run-down, depressing apartment complex in creation. He fished around in his pockets for a moment as he approached a long stairwell and fished out a rusty key. He held it tightly in his grip as he carefully made his way up the stairs. After a few moments, he arrived at the top, and in front of a door that had seen better days. It was heavily grafftied with messages varying from: 'Orphan Brat' all the way to "DIE'. The boy had grown so used to seeing them that he had them all memorized from top to bottom on the door.

As he inserted his key, he chanced a glance behind him. Even though he was almost 'home free (well, at least as safe as he could possibly be in this cesspool.) he was wary still of his pursuer. With a quick nod to himself that the coast was clear, he unlocked the door and pushed his way inside.

Only to find, that he had made a huge mistake in thinking that he was ever safe to begin with.

**AN: What do _you_ think? Keep going?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 02**

Naruto couldn't believe his eyes as he entered into his apartment, only to find it completely and utterly torn apart_. _From his past experiences since receiving the place, he had dealt with an occasional bottle thrown through a window by a drunken passerby, or the copious amounts of graffiti that decorated each of the outside walls, but a break-in? THAT WAS NEW_._

He sighed as he began to kick through the remains of his potted plant, Ukki-kun, and gathered the shattered pieces of pottery that lay strewn about his floor. He dumped the refuse unceremoniously into a dustbin and scanned the rest of the apartment.

As he did so, he realized that a break-in wasn't exactly the right term to use in his scenario. Strangely enough, Naruto could tell that some kind of struggle had happened in his apartment. The question bouncing around in his head was: why? He had nothing of value to anyone: unless you want to count to meager allowance that was given to him by the Old Man each month. Speaking of his money, Naruto walked into his small kitchen and pulled loose a floorboard near his now demolished table. He was pleased to find that all of his funds were still safely hidden beneath it, in the same envelope the Old Man had just given him no less than a week ago. He carefully replaced the floorboard, glanced around the apartment and sighed to himself.

"Guess I better clean this up." He grumbled. He dragged the dustbin behind him as he made his way through the small apartment, cleaning up what looked like the aftermath of a bomb raid.

* * *

><p>It was about an hour later when Naruto discovered something interesting. His dustbin was almost full, so he made his way down the stairs to a dumpster around the back of the complex and dumped it. On his way back, he noticed something glinting on the kitchen windowsill of his apartment. He couldn't make it out from the ground, so he quickly ran back upstairs to check it out.<p>

And _that's _where he made the discovery. He realized that his kitchen window was unlocked; something that terrified him, because he always made sure to lock _all _doors _and _windows. He pushed up the window and reached out for the object that was now glittering in the evening sun, only to discover that it was a fragment of a weapon of some kind; possibly a small piece of a kunai? Naruto sat the fragment on his kitchen counter and ran toward his bedroom.

Naruto threw open his bedroom door and dove underneath his bed, only to reemerge with what appeared to be a shoebox. He blew dust from the top and suffered a bout of coughs as consequence, but opened the lid. Inside were a few things he had found while trekking through the village over the past few months. He had a small spool of ninja wire, some caltrops (which were courtesy of an angry villager who tried to set up a prank on the prank king_, _only to fall prey to his own trap in the end) and a final object, which was exactly what he was looking for: a kunai he had found discarded in the woods. It was slightly rusty, and its tip was dull, but Naruto didn't need it for protection…

'_Although_,' he thought, '_I might want to scour the woods again to see if I can find a functional one, in case I have to deal with more intruders_.'

When he arrived back in his kitchen, he quickly compared the full kunai to fragment and found that it was in fact a piece of a kunai he had found. Which meant a ninja was responsible for breaking in. But if a ninja was the culprit, did they fight another ninja? That might be it. But if that was the case, then why couldn't he shake the feeling that there was more to it? A ninja of all people does not simply break into a random house and _destroy_ a random person's things.

"But, when have I _ever _been treated like a normal person?" asked Naruto to himself bitterly.

Even so, the _more_ he thought about it, the less it made sense. The villagers on one hand would avoid and berate him, but the ninja : most of them acted as if he didn't even exist! Which was fine by his standards. He didn't want the attention of people who could do superhuman feats like walking on walls, or blowing jets of flame from their mouths. So then WHY would a ninja possibly be in his apartment? WHY would they tear up his place fighting?

He couldn't think of a single answer, but he knew what he had to do. He hadto see the Old Man, first thing in the morning about this. Not only that, but he decided that he would tell him about his 'shadow' as well. He debated just heading over to the Old Man's office right that moment, but decided against it.

Naruto got ready for bed and was soon lying awake staring intently at his cracked and off-color ceiling in rapt thought.

'_What in the world were ninja doing in my apartment?_' He thought. He didn't have an idea in the slightest, but one thing was definitely clear to him:

Uzumaki Naruto was going to find out.

**AN: Well, what do you think of the second chapter?**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey guys, here's Chapter 3. As always let me know what you think, and enjoy!**

**Chapter 03**

Naruto awoke the next morning and groggily made his way to his bathroom, where he turned on the shower, only to be greeted with three pathetic drops of water from the showerhead nozzle. He growled. His landlord was at it again. This wasn't new for Naruto, in fact; this would be the fourth time this month that his water was mysteriously absent. To his dismay, that would mean yet another thing to talk to the Old Man about.

Frowning as he wrapped a towel around his small body, he left the bathroom and got dressed in his only extra T-shirt and a pair of shorts. He slipped on his sandals, glaring at the one with the broken strap, and walked into his kitchen. He opened his pantry to find an instant ramen and peeled the lid off. He _almost_ kicked himself for his stupidity when he _tried_ to run water over his breakfast to cook it, only to remember that he didn't _have _water. In anger, he hurled the ramen into his dustbin.

"I'm short on cash," he muttered, as he looked in his frog-shaped wallet. "Guess I'll have to go to Ichiraku 's before visiting the Old Man…"

* * *

><p>Naruto was greeted, as he stepped outside his apartment door, with a cloudy day. He made sure to double-check his locking of his door, and before leaving, made sure that the stink bomb traps that he now had positioned at every window of his apartment were fully functional. Satisfied with his handiwork, he made his way out of the slums where he lived and into the market area of the village.<p>

As he walked the streets toward Ichiraku's, Naruto remembered why he hated walking this route. Villagers who noticed him glared and whispered about him as he passed. Curious children who watched him walk by were ushered away by prejudiced parents. Naruto knew that other kids his age weren'ttreated like a pariah_, _but today, he honestly didn't care one way or another what the villagers thought about him. He was grumpy from not being able to shower, or even brush his teeth; not to mention, he had to go out of his way to get breakfast! If he was actually honest with himself, Naruto just wanted to kick some of these villagers hard in the ass, just to let them know how he really felt about them today.

At last, he made it to Ichiraku's. As he entered the small ramen establishment, Ayame, one of the only people besides the Old Man that would actually speak to him as if he was a human being, greeted him. Ayame was maybe a few years older than him, but Naruto looked at her as if she was an older sister. She definitely treated himlike her surrogate younger brother.

"Naruto-kun!" Ayame gushed. "It's good to see you! How've you been?"

Naruto began to answer when he spotted Ayame's father: Teuchi come in from a back door, carrying a sack of flour. When Teuchi saw him, he quickly set the flour down and made his way over, with a genial smile on his face.

"Naruto m'boy! Good to see you! What'll you have?"

Naruto ordered a large miso ramen and told Ayame about his 'water' problem. The Ichiraku's had heard of Naruto's struggles before, and couldn't understand why the village had it out for him. In their eyes, he was just a sweet, considerate boy. Naruto went on to tell them about the break-in at his apartment, and the Ichiraku's were horrified.

"Did they take anything?" Ayame asked. Her face was pale and she looked like she might faint in worry. Naruto smiled slightly.

"No, Ayame-nee," he replied. "They just broke a lot of my furniture and stuff. I'm going to talk to the Old Man about it after I'm done eating."

Teuchi frowned and smacked his ladle in his hand, in a threatening gesture.

"Well, hopefully the Hokage _does _something about it," he said darkly. And then he smiled winningly at Naruto and added:

"Because if _he _doesn't: I WILL!"

Naruto laughed, along with the Ichiraku's as he continued eating and just talking to the _only _two people he'd come to trust fully in his life so far.

* * *

><p>Naruto arrived at the Hokage Tower to find things in a bit of slump, which was <em>good. <em>Normally, he was hard-pressed to even get a word in with the Old Man, since his job kept him constantly busy. The Old Man had told Naruto that he was welcome anytime to see him, but Naruto knew how busy he was. Not to mention, he could see the looks of disgust and anger from others anytime the Old Man canceled an appointment with them in favor of meeting with him.

He was almost about to thank the gods above for his good fortune of _not _running into any problems when he arrived on the floor of the tower that housed the Old Man's office, when he saw the secretary eyeing him suspiciously, as he rounded the corner.

Kimiko, she was called, or at least Naruto had heard the Old Man refer to her as such. He cursed under his breath as they made eye contact. Kimiko was nota fan of him. Usually, she would shoo him off anytime he tried to seek an audience with the Old Man, or have a ninja escort him out of the building if she was feeling extra snarky.

Naruto made toward Kimiko to ask her to see the Old Man, and was genuinely shocked when she airily waved a hand at him in approval. His flabbergasted expression must have entertained her, because for the second time she shocked him by indulging his questioning look.

"The Hokage was_ expecting _you," she said coldly. "Hurry up and go in, before I change my mind to not have you thrown out."

Naruto nodded absent-mindedly and quickly opened the large wooden doors of the Old Man's office and quickly stepped inside.

* * *

><p>Regardless of how <em>many <em>times Naruto had been in the Hokage's Office; it never ceased to amazehim. As he glanced around the room, he took in the magnificent view of the village from a panoramic window that hugged the back wall of the office, behind a large desk that was piled with papers. As he glanced to his right and left, he noticed floor to ceiling bookshelves lined with scrolls, documents, and books on _every _subject. Also, hanging along the right side of the room, were four pictures; each one containing a framed portrait of the Hokage that had served the village. As Naruto made his way into the office, toward the desk, he trained his eyes on one particular portrait. The photo of the Third Hokage: Hiruzen Sarutobi. Or as he called him: Old Man.

"Ah, Naruto-kun, it's good that you've come!" said a wizened voice from behind a stack of paperwork at the desk.

Naruto looked toward the voice to see the stack of paperwork that was obscuring his view pushed aside, to reveal an old man with gray spiked hair, pronounced cheekbones, a few wrinkles, and eyes that regardless of his age: twinkled with cunning, intelligence, and a kindness that far exceeded most men.

"Hey Old Man," Naruto said happily. His smile faded slightly and was replaced by a look of uncertainty, as he remembered what Kimiko had said just before he entered the office.

"I heard that you were _expecting _me?"

Sarutobi chuckled and gestured to a chair that was facing the desk. Naruto quickly sat and stared at him. Sarutobi reached for his trusty pipe, packed some tobacco in it, and lit it with a small fire jutsu. He took a few deep puffs and exhaled contentedly. Naruto scrunched his nose in disgust. He liked the Old Man just fine, but he'd like him a lot more if he'd stop smoking. Sarutobi chuckled again at Naruto's expression and then grew serious, making Naruto tense slightly.

"So Naruto-kun," he said humorlessly. "I'm aware that there was an incident at your apartment yesterday…"

Naruto nodded slowly in confirmation. Sarutobi laced his hands together on his desk and leaned forward with interest.

"Tell me everything_._"


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:**** Here's Chapter Four! As _always, _review and let me know what you think about the story! Naruto meets with Sarutobi in this chapter, and manages to piss someone off _majorly. Enjoy! _  
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**Chapter 04**

And so, Naruto told Sarutobi everything, including his discomfort about his mysterious 'shadow'. When he mentioned the part about a shadow_, _Sarutobi's aged face seemed to wrinkle further.

"You say this _shadow _has been tailing you for at leasta week and a half now, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto nodded, and sat forward slightly in his chair.

"Yeah, Old Man," he confirmed. He fell silent for a moment, pondering on _how _to ask the question he desperatelywanted to ask.

"I was wondering," Naruto continued. "Could it possibly be one of those masked guys? You know: the ones who wear black cloaks?"

Sarutobi puffed on his pipe and leaned back in his chair. He exhaled and fixed Naruto with a cocked eyebrow.

"I _believe _you mean one of the ANBU?" Sarutobi questioned. When Naruto nodded, Sarutobi sighed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry to say that it is not, Naruto-kun," he continued. "You see, the ANBU are given their jobs by me directly. Unless I ordered one of them to tail you, they would not do so."

Naruto scrunched his face in irritation.

_'Who was tailing him, then? _

Sarutobi tapped his pipe in an ashtray and regarded Naruto.

"I assure you however," he added solemnly. "I will look into this, as well."

Naruto nodded dejectedly. Sarutobi smiled kindly and cleared his throat, getting Naruto to look up at him again.

"On _another _subject, Naruto-kun: are you stillinterested in attending the Ninja Academy in a year or so?"

Naruto perked up at the question. In the mayhem of constantly watching over his shoulder for his shadow, he had completely forgotten that he had barged into Sarutobi's office a few weeks prior and begged the aged Hokage to allow him to attend the academy.

"What?" Naruto started in confusion. "Of course_, _I'm still interested Old Man!"

Sarutobi laughed and leaned forward in his chair.

"That's good to hear, Naruto-kun!" He replied, pushing his chair back and standing up. He strode over to the large window that overlooked the village and took a deep sigh.

"With this 'break-in' business, not to mention this shadow of yours," Sarutobi added somberly. "I believe that you _need _to start learning _how _to defend yourself."

Sarutobi glanced back at Naruto who was hanging on to every word.

"The villagers _haven't _been giving you any problems, I hope?"

Naruto shook his head, and Sarutobi nodded, taking another long drag on his pipe thoughtfully.

"Good," he said as he exhaled. "Now, Naruto-kun, if you have any more problems, I want you to come see me immediately. If Kimoko-chan gives you any trouble tell her that I said that you are permitted to see me at any time."

Naruto nodded gratefully and agreed to Sarutobi's request.

"I'll get to the bottom of this 'break-in' and 'shadow' business, I promise, Naruto-kun."

Naruto took that as his cue to leave, but not before he gave the Old Man a hug around the midriff. Sarutobi ruffled his hair affectionately, went back to his desk, sat down, and began to grumble obscenities under his breath about how much he _despised _paperwork.

* * *

><p>Naruto had no idea what to do with the rest of his day. He didn't want to linger around the busier parts of the village; just walking past villagers, who tried to make him feel like crap all the time, was exhausting. He had already visited the Ichiraku's no less than twenty minutes ago, so that was a no-go. He began to walk in a random direction, looking for something to do. As he did, he once again felt an overwhelming urge to look behind him. His eyes narrowed as he did so. Whatever, or whomever this 'shadow' was, must be pretty careless, he thought as he scanned his surroundings for anything that looked abnormal. Hadn't the Old Man promised to look into it? Naruto wasn't always sure that the Old Man was telling the truth, but he could tell that this time he was being completely sincere. The look in his eyes when Naruto told him about the shadow was enough to tell that whatever the Old Man thought about it was serious. If that were the case, why would it continue following him as if nothing had changed?<p>

Naruto growled lowly under his breath and took off down the street, startling surprised villagers who didn't even seem to register that the sprinting person in question was none other than him. He continued to glance over his shoulder, every now and then, to make sure nothing was stalking after him. He felt like prey. And he hated that feeling.

He was glancing back again when he rounded another corner, only to smash headlong into something and topple over. He rubbed his now aching butt in irritation.

"Ow!" he moaned as he slowly staggered to his feet. He glared at the object in question that had gotten in his way. "Hey! Watch where you're _ going, _YOU…!"

His admonishment fell short when he noticed _whom_ he had bumped into.

She was an attractive woman, with purple-hair styled like a pineapple. She wore a mesh jumpsuit, a short, orange skirt, and a long jacket. On her forehead, slightly covered by her bangs was a forehead protector, which signified that she was a registered Konohagakure ninja.

That was all fine and good, but the obvious anger in her light brown eyes made Naruto's face pale.

The woman jumped to her feet and grabbed Naruto by the collar of his shirt, lifting him up to her eye level. Up close, Naruto was aware of how pale he _really _was, seeing that he could see his reflection in her eyes.

"YOU WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, BRAT_!" _She snarled in outrage. Then, in a quick moment of recognition that seemed to pass _instantaneously, _the woman lowered Naruto (who was utterly terrified) back onto the ground roughly. She took a deep breath and sighed.

"_Actually,_" she continued, in a much calmer voice. "I'll forget that this even happened if you just apologize!"

Her face split into a wicked smile that instantly dispelled Naruto's apprehension about the woman. Instead of feeling grateful that this woman was going to let him off easy with a simple apology, he felt angry. It didn't help that a small crowd of villagers witnessed the whole altercation and were now watching the proceedings with a kind of smug interest.

Maybe it was stress from the events of the last week and a half from his mysterious pursuer. Perhaps it was the combination of weariness from being ignored by the village constantly and ridiculed. And just MAYBE Naruto was suffering from a severe lack of survival instinct at that moment; because he did something that most people would have considered suicide:

He spat in the woman's face and hollered:

"**BITE ME**!"

To his shock, the woman didn't immediately jump to complete outrage again, nor did she show any sign that she was upset at all! In fact, the woman proceeded to do something not even the prank master Naruto Uzumaki expected:

She grinned in delight!

Naruto blinked and regarded her in confusion. He was about to make a cutting remark about how _most _people in the woman's situation would retaliate, or assault the offender in question, when he noticed something that made him pale even _more _than he did when she picked him up by his collar.

The woman was still smiling like she had just experienced complete peace with the world, which was very unnerving to Naruto. BUT: The thing that really made him shiver from head to toe was one observation he made about the woman's arms:

Where two hands should've stuck out from either side of her jacket sleeves, were two, large and angry snakes.

The woman titled her head cutely and said in an overly sweet tone:

"I'll give you until the count of _ten,_" she said gleefully.

"And then…YOU'RE SO **DEAD**, brat!_"_

Naruto didn't even wait for her to start counting, before he took off like a speeding bullet.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:**** What's up guys? As usual, please let me know what you think of the story, and if there's anything you'd like to see! Also, I'm kind of going to toss this out there for you guys to help me decide: _Who _should I pair Naruto with? I'm game for _any _pairing as long as it's not yaoi (sorry, NOT my style) OR NaruSaku. I just can't write that pairing, I have _no _interest in it. Sorry to you NaruSaku fans out there! But, let me know your thoughts on this! I _won't_ be deciding any time soon!**

**Chapter 05:**

The Village Hidden In the Leaves, also known as Konohagakure, Konoha, or The Leaf Village, was a tranquil and serene place to live. For the most part, villagers and ninja alike were good to one another, trade was prosperous, and since the end of the Third Great Shinobi War and the attack by the Nine-Tails six years prior, peace had reigned supreme throughout the large village.

Yes, peace. Wonderful, sweet peace…that is: until NOW.

* * *

><p>Naruto Uzumaki was running, and making a mental list of reasons to hate his life. It wouldn't have been so bad if he 'd known the crazy snake woman was going to stop her countdown at seven and begin to demand for his death by her hand while chasing him relentlessly throughout the village. Now, not only had the small head start he'd received become pointless, but now he also had to contend with dodging a horde of hungry snakes, and projectiles in the form of kunai and shuriken. Did I mention that the crazy snake woman had demanded his blood? I did? Oh…needless to say, Naruto was regretting that he spit in her face.<p>

He made a sharp right down a narrow alleyway in the hopes of losing his pursuer. Naruto was finding it ironic that he was now wishing that he could just go back to dealing with his shadow, instead of this insane woman.

Just as he pelted out of the alleyway, he was forced to make a quick left, as the woman came flying from the roof of a building above him, poised to strike. Naruto barely managed to scramble out of the way, and quickly made for the forest, where he could possibly hide from the snake woman.

As Naruto sprinted full speed down the nearest thoroughfare leading towards the forest, he passed by various ninja and villagers who all stopped and gawked at his frenzied expression as he ran by. The villagers seemed to forget to say scathing remarks about him, while the ninja seemed more perplexed about the cause of his out of control running. Both groups respectively were soon given their answer however, when they all felt the aura of something akin to that of the Shinigami himself.

Everyone slowly turned around to see a woman stalking, like a savage predator, after the boy with intense bloodlust in her eyes. Everyone gave her a wide berth, and averted their eyes, as if the mere aura of her rage was something visible. Babies cried, grown men wept in despair, even one Ibiki Morino of the Torture and Interrogation (who happened to be grocery shopping at the time) shed one silent tear for the poor, depraved soul that would soon be departing this world for a better and brighter place.

Soon, the street went back to its peaceful state, although everyone who had just witnessed the last ten seconds was silent. Ibiki broke the silence when he suddenly told the fruit vendor he was currently buying from that he would like to purchase an extra apple.

"Of course, sir." The clerk said shakily. "May I ask _why?"_

Ibiki was silent for a moment before he withdrew his wallet and simply stated:

"It's an offering for Kami, to watch over that boy's soul when he departs for the afterlife."

In the end, Ibiki got a killer deal, because the clerk gave him allof his groceries for free, after being greatly moved by his words.

* * *

><p>Naruto was currently hiding behind a large tree, deep in the forest just outside of Konoha's walls, trying desperately to control his breathing. He couldn't believe he had just outrun a fully trained ninja! He wasn't sure whether he should feel accomplished, or terrified at the thought. He decided to go for a combination of both, if he managed to live to see another day.<p>

And like the ninja of Konoha always say: 'Don't put all of your kunai in one pouch'. Because no sooner had Naruto finished his thought about catching a lucky break, did all hell break loose.

A flurry of shuriken pinned him to the trunk of the tree, and at least a dozen snakes slithered out from the nearby underbrush to surround him: hissing menacingly. And as if things couldn't possibly get worse, the very person Naruto had traversed the entirety of the village to avoid: leapt down from an adjacent tree branch above him, to land in front of him, smiling sinisterly.

"I'll give you this brat," she began with a smug grin, "You're pretty fast for a runt; but I'm faster!"

Naruto glared defiantly at the woman, who shook her head in disbelief and added:

"You're still gonna be like that, huh?"

She reached into her pouch and withdrew a single kunai, and Naruto's face went from defiant to alarmed faster than the Fourth Hokage's Hiraishin Jutsu. She placed the point of the blade against Naruto's neck and licked her lips eagerly in anticipation. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut and swore that if he somehow got out of this he'd give up pranking forever! Then, even though his life was about to possibly end, he retracted that pledge and exchanged for three weeks, tops.

Suddenly, the pressure from the kunai stopped, and Naruto opened his eyes, only to see an unfamiliar man holding the woman's arm with the kunai away from his neck. The man narrowed his one visibleeye at the woman and said:

"All right, that's enough, Anko."

He was tall and fit, with spiky silver hair, and his one eye that was visible was coal colored. He had a mask that covered the lower part of his face, starting from his nose down to his chin. He was dressed in a standard Konoha jounin flak jacket, and his hitai-ate covered his left eye.

The woman now identified as Anko pouted and dropped her kunai in resignation.

"_Jeez_, Kakashi," she whined. "I wasn't going to _kill _the brat! Maybe just cut him up, a bit!"

Naruto felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face. _This Anko lady is NUTS! _He thought frantically. The man, Kakashi pulled the shuriken off of Naruto, and lowered him down to the ground. Naruto grinned at him and faltered slightly when he noticed Kakashi's stern expression. Kakashi steered Naruto around so that he was facing Anko and crouched down so he was eye level with him.

"Well," Kakashi prompted. "Don't you have something to say to Anko, Naruto?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and bowed toward Anko, who raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"I'm _really _sorry for bumping into you, telling you to: bite me, and spitting in your face, even if it _was _funny."

Kakashi glared at Naruto who laughed nervously, and bowed deeper, as he repeated himself sans the last bit. Anko shrugged and placed her hands behind her head leisurely.

"It's fine brat," she said casually. "But next time you pull something like that on me, I'd be glad to have one of my snakes actually bite you."

Naruto paled and nodded his head that he understood completely.

Kakashi stood back up to full height and gave Naruto an eye smile, before turning to Anko.

"Anko, Lord Hokage wants to see you," Kakashi informed her. "He says it's _urgent._"

Anko nodded, un-summoned the snakes around the three of them, and vanished via shunshin.

Kakashi turned to face Naruto and ruffled his hair, making Naruto swat at his hand in irritation.

"Well, you be good! Don't get in any more trouble, Naruto! Later!"

And in a poof of smoke, Kakashi vanished.

Naruto stared at the places the two Shinobi vanished from for a moment before frowning and muttering to himself:

"Does this mean I still have to give up pranks for three weeks? Weak!"

* * *

><p>When Naruto arrived home, he was pleased to find that someone replaced most of his broken furniture. He'd definitely have to thank the Old Man for that! He couldn't think of anyone else that would do that for him. He also made a mental note to thank the Hokage once again, when he discovered that his water was back on!<p>

After a long and relaxing shower, and a feast of cup ramen, Naruto made his way to his bedroom and flopped on his bed with a grateful sigh. His body ached from overexertion. As he rolled over in his bed, he wondered how the Shinobi who saved him from the crazy snake lady: Kakashi knew his name. At first, he wrote it off. Everyone in the village somehow knew his name, although few ever actually used it. The villagers were quite content to simply call him, the brat, or the Uzumaki boy. Sometimes, Naruto could swear he heard some call him a demon when they thought he was out of earshot. He had gotten so used to people not calling him by his name that he kept a list of people who actually did. That list was small. There was: The Old Man, and Teuchi and Ayame Ichiraku.

It wouldn't normally bother him that someone he didn't know knew who he was, but the way Kakashi had said his name with no trace of hatred or revulsion was intriguing to say the least.

Naruto rolled off his bed, and retrieved his shoebox that held his spoils of pranks. He shifted through the caltrops carefully, untangled a few knots in the ninja wire and slid the old rusty kunai out of the way, looking for the fragment piece he had found while cleaning yesterday. When he found it, he examined it in the dim light cast from his bedside lamp. He palmed it, and ran over to his closet where he withdrew his newest acquisition: a brand new kunai, courtesy of the crazy snake lady, Anko. The very same kunai she had used to threaten him!

He held it up in the light and admired its perfect edge, as he turned it around in his hands. He ran a finger along the blade, testing its sharpness. As he ran his finger along the edge he noticed a sizeable knick he hadn't noticed when he had picked it up in the forest earlier. His brow furrowed and he examined the knick more closely as he brought the kunai closer to his lamplight by the bed.

_'How come I didn't notice THAT before?' _Naruto thought as he set the kunai down on his nightstand gingerly. He was a bit upset that his newest find was damaged, but beggars _can't _be choosers.

Then, in a sudden flash of realization, Naruto fished around for the small fragment he had found yesterday and held it up to the kunai with trembling hands. Slowly and very carefully, he placed the chipped fragment on the knick in the kunai…

Only to find that it was a _perfect _fit.

**AN: OOOOOOOOH SNAP. Let me know what you thought guys! this was my _favorite _chapter to write so far! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 06:**

Naruto scooped up the kunai and its missing piece and bolted from his apartment for the Hokage Tower. Unfortunately, (depending on how you choose to look at it) his little body was still exhausted from running from Anko earlier, so he didn't get further than ten steps before he face-planted in the street. Muttering obscenities at anyone who would listen as he rubbed his sore face, Naruto got up, brushed himself off, and literally forced his body to comply.

* * *

><p>When Naruto finally arrived at Hokage Tower he looked like a veteran of the Battle of Kannabi Bridge. He dragged himself up to the Hokage's office, where he was met with a disapproving sneer from Kimiko, the Hokage's ever-vigilant secretary.<p>

"And just _what_," Kimiko spat waspishly. "Do you think you're doing here at this late hour, brat?"

Naruto glared up at Kimiko so fiercely, the woman was slightly taken aback.

"The Old Man told me to tell _you _that I can see him _whenever _I need to!"

Kimiko crossed her arms and huffed indignantly.

"I don't believe you!" She replied sharply. "Even if that was true; why are you here so late in the night?"

Naruto muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a rude word for a woman under his breath, before he sighed and added:

"Not that its any of _your _business," he began in a short-fused tone, that even Kimiko had to respect. "But I think I've found out some information that will help the Old Man with a '_problem' _I'm having!"

Kimiko didn't say anything for a moment, choosing to simply look extremely suspicious of his story. The two of them had a silent staring contest that lasted no more than ten seconds, before Kimiko averted her gaze and shooed Naruto toward the office door.

"I hope for your sake brat," Kimiko hissed venomously. "That you're not lying!"

As Naruto placed his hand on the door handle of the office, he felt a sudden urge to let Kimiko know how much her opinion of him actually mattered_._

"You know, I said this to the wrong person earlier," Naruto replied, making Kimiko look at him scathingly. "But, I get the feeling that you can't summon snakes, or even throw a kunai, so I'll say it to you…"

Kimiko's eyebrows narrowed, as Naruto's grin seemed to split his face in half.

"BITE ME!" Naruto bellowed. And for an extra dash of sass, he threw up _both _his middle fingers, as he quickly stepped into Sarutobi's office, leaving an enraged and bewildered Kimiko behind.

* * *

><p>Sarutobi glanced up wearily from yet another document as he heard the door to his office quickly open and slam shut. He repressed a chuckle as he watched one Naruto Uzumaki quickly lock the door behind him, and turn to face him with a shit-eating grin.<p>

"Hiya Old Man!" Naruto greeted enthusiastically. Sarutobi pushed his paperwork to the side again and folded his hands on his tabletop and smiled benevolently in return.

"Good evening Naruto-kun," Sarutobi replied. "May I ask what _brings_ you to my office so late?"

Naruto quickly explained about his discovery and let Sarutobi inspect the kunai and fragment he found personally. Sarutobi sighed deeply and raised a hand in a swishing-like gesture.

From the shadows of the office, an ANBU with a black cloak and a cat mask appeared. Naruto _guessed_ that the ANBU operative had to be female, judging by her shape and build. The long violet hair was a pretty good indication as well, but Naruto had seen his fair share of males with long hair, to know better than to assume solely on that fact.

Sarutobi packed his pipe and lit it absent-mindedly.

"Neko," Sarutobi commanded. "Please go and fetch ex-operative Snake please. Tell her it's urgent, and that I don't care if it's 'Ladies' Night_' _at the Shinobi Bar, she is to report here _at_ _once!"_

Neko nodded and vanished in a shunshin. Sarutobi took a long drag of his tobacco before exhaling and regarding Naruto curiously.

"Naruto-kun, have you had any more run-ins with this shadow of yours at all today?"

Naruto nodded slowly and went on to explain about running into the crazy snake woman, because he was trying to shake off the feeling that _someone _was tailing him again. Sarutobi frowned and stroked his beard in thought. Suddenly, the door to the office flew open, and Neko walked in followed by a very irritated Anko Mitarashi.

Naruto's jaw dropped, and he practicallyjumped out of his skin in fright.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, CRAZY SNAKE LADY_!_" Naruto bellowed, pointing at Anko who growled at him.

"Watch it _brat_," Anko said, crossing her arms as she did so. "My night's ruined because of getting called here by the Hokage over there…"

Anko shot a pointed glare at Sarutobi, who suddenly seemed to find the portrait of the Shodaime Hokage: Hashirama Senju very interesting. Seeing that Sarutobi was not going to extend his condolences for spoiling her night, Anko sighed and asked:

"What do you need, Lord Hokage?"

Sarutobi acted like he had just tuned into the conversation when Anko addressed him. He smiled a little too warmly, in Naruto's opinion, and a shiver ran down Naruto's spine when he felt a wave of anger begin flooding the room. He gasped and felt like he was being crushed. He weakly glanced in Sarutobi's direction to find that the intense pressure was coming from the Old Man!

Anko wasn't faring any better than Naruto. She could feel sweat running down her face, and an intense feeling, (that she recognized as survival instinct) screaming at her to run.

Sarutobi cut off his Killing Intent and glowered sternly at Anko, who gulped.

"Anko," Sarutobi began in a very solemn tone. "Care to explain what business you had breaking into Naruto-kun's apartment?"

**AN:**** Uh-oh, Anko's in TROUBLE. Like it? Let me know! BTW: I'm still taking ideas for an eventual pairing for Naruto, so PM me or leave a review of your opinions!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 07:**

Naruto looked at Anko with a grim sort of satisfaction on his face.

_'Oh, Karma's a bitch, lady!' _He thought wickedly. His vindictive thoughts were interrupted however when Anko knelt on the floor before Sarutobi and exclaimed:

"I can easilyexplain that sir, if you'll allow me to!"

Sarutobi took a long drag on his pipe again, and exhaled. He was silent for several moments before he replied:

"Very well, Anko: let's hear it."

Anko looked up at him and smiled gratefully, while Naruto scowled. Anko's eyebrows rose in confusion.

"What crawled up you_r_ butt and died, brat?" she asked. Naruto turned his gaze from her smug look with a pouty scoff. Truth be told, Naruto was irritated that his discovery _and_ deduction of Anko's guiltiness might be completely unfounded. He was beginning to fancy himself a detective.

Anko regained her composure from teasing Naruto, and turned back to face Sarutobi, who was still regarding her expectantly.

"Well, you _see_ sir," Anko began, it all began like this…"

* * *

><p>Anko sat inside the comfort of her <em>favorite <em>restaurant: Konoha's Dangoya. She had _just _finished her fourth platter of hanami dango, and was _about _to order her fifth when she noticed something somewhat peculiar:

The Nine-Tailed Fox's jinchuuriki: Naruto Uzumaki.

She, like everyone else in the village who was privy to the information, knew exactly what he contained, but for the life of her all she could see anytime she looked at the boy was just that: an average six-year-old boy. She had heard the rumors of the villagers of course; that the Kyuubi was just biding its' time pretending to act like a young child, until it could strike. But the mere thought made Anko snort in derision. Honestly, the villagers and some of the ninja could really use a lesson in basic fuinjutsu. She trusted the sealing skills of the village's late Yondaime Hokage, the village seemed like complete hypocrites to her when she thought about it that way. For all of their admiration and praise of Minato Namikaze, they all seemed to doubt whether or not the man they had chosen to become their Fourth Hokage could actually seal a tailed beast successfully!

Anko watched as the boy meandered his way past scowling villagers without even a sign that he was bothered by it. Anko could relate, after all; she used to be the prized pupil of the Leaf Village's biggest traitor: Orochimaru of the Sannin. When her sensei had left her behind as he deserted the village, he also saddled Anko with the responsibility to become the scapegoat for resentment and disgust at Orochimaru's actions. Anko put up with it for a while, and then, not at all. She showed the villagers and ninja what would happen to them if they crossed her. She was not her sensei. She was her own person, AND fiercely loyal to her home.

But that was the thing that intrigued her about Naruto Uzumaki. The stigma following him around was much worse than being called the student of a traitor. Not only that: but Anko had heard some of the things villagers and her fellow ninja said about the boy when he wasn't present. They called him a ' demon' and 'clanless brat'. Anko knew the boy didn't have parents or a clan: he was an orphan; but so was she. That wasn't something to hold against someone. And, as for calling the boy a 'demon'…?"

Anko winced as a storeowner roughly tossed the boy out of his shop and onto the street. The boy scowled at the man and flipped him the bird, but besides that, he didn't make any aggressive moves. If the boy was truly a 'demon' as the populace believed, Anko was positive that bidding its time or not, a demon would not tolerate the treatment it received as tamely as the boy before her did. Heck: Anko would've kicked that storeowner where the sun doesn't shine if he ever tried that with her as a kid.

Anko paid her bill for the four platters of dango, and silently walked after the boy. She didn't understand entirely why she felt compelled to do so, but he had gotten her interest.

* * *

><p>It was about five minutes later that Anko realized she wasn't the only one interested in what the boy was up to. She felt a foreign chakra signature nearby, the likes of which she had never felt before. It was dark, and somewhat jumbled: like whomever it belonged to wasn't completely there.<p>

Anko hated herself for thinking it, but if this entity was somehow aware of the boy's status as a container, it was in the best interests of the village to capture and interrogate them. Anko decided to do what she did best: stalk her prey.

Little did Anko know at the time however: that she was about to take on more than she could possibly deal with.

* * *

><p>Anko followed the vague chakra signature for the rest of the day, only to come to a very grave conclusion: Whoever this person was, they were indeed aware of the boy's uniqueness. That did not bode well. She thought of going straight to the Hokage about it, but something told her that leaving the mysterious figure to its own devices was definitely not advisable.<p>

She was somewhat amused when she realized that the boy was aware that someone was watching him.

_'Smart brat', _Anko thought with an impressed smirk from her perch on a building overlooking the market district. _He's got potential. _

She also noticed that the boy's awareness wasn't limited to just her presence. In fact, the boy seemed almost unconcerned with her watching him, and more paranoid about the same exact thing she was: the other, more mysterious person. That impressed Anko even more. This kid, who couldn't be any older than six could already sense when a chakra signature had malicious intentions. That was a high-chuunin skill, at least!

Anko continued to follow the mysterious chakra she sensed for the rest of the day, when around six in the evening she noticed it divert from the boy and make its way elsewhere. Naturally, Anko followed. She was frustrated beyond belief that she couldn't get a visual on the mysterious figure, only being able to trace him or her by their abnormal chakra signature.

She tracked the chakra to the slums district of the village, where she noticed it had at last ceased moving, and was now stemming from an old, run down apartment complex. She body flickered to the rooftop of an adjacent building and watched the apartment complex with narrowed eyes.

"What are you doing there?" she mumbled to herself. She still couldn't see anyone yet, which made her even more anxious to know who she was dealing with.

Just then, Anko noticed a figure looking out the window on the top floor of the apartment complex directly at her. She tensed and felt a bead of sweat run down the side of her face.

'_How in the world did they know I was here_?' she thought frantically. She had made sure that her chakra emission was as low as possible! It would take a seasoned shinobi of a high caliber to even notice her! The realization shook her even more.

Steeling herself, Anko stealthily made her way toward the apartment complex, making sure to conceal her presence as much as possible. She made her way up a long stairwell silently and quickly and at last arrived at a heavily grafftied door that, (to her discomfort) was cracked open slightly.

She slid inside the door and looked around cautiously.

At first glance, she noticed that nothing seemed out of place, or peculiar. That was, until a deep, rasping voice hissed:

"_Anko Mitarashi_," it said, sending shiversup Anko's spine. "How very _nice _of you to join me…"

Anko knew right then and there she was in way over her head.

**AN:**** At last the shadow makes its appearance! But _who _could it be? You'll just have to wait and see...**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:**** Hey what's up guys? So, I'm leaving to go away for work until Wednesday, but have no fear! I'm taking my laptop, so expect to see updates on this story regardless! Enjoy the chapter, and remember to review! Also, I'm _still _not set on a pairing for Naruto yet, so keep sending me your ideas!  
><strong>

**Chapter 08:**

Regardless of how panicked she felt, Anko immediately slipped a kunai out of her coat sleeve and gripped it tightly. The shadowy figure chuckled softly. The figure seemed to emanate darkness, as if all of the shadows in the room were drawn to it.

"My, my," it cooed in amusement. "Are you going to attack me?"

Anko felt a bead of sweat run down the side of her face. She ignored it in favor of staring down the foreign entity. . Subconsciously though, her grip on her kunai's handle tightened.

"Not if I don't have to!" she replied, mentally cursing herself for how feeble that sounded as it left her mouth. She quickly changed tact, addressing the figure with more bravado in her tone.

"Now tell me: who are you? And what do you want with Naruto Uzumaki?"

The figure chuckled even more sinisterly.

"Oh, you _know_," it replied casually, but with the rasp in its' voice, it was that much more terrifying. "I need young Naruto for something only he can accomplish for me..."

Anko narrowed her eyes at the figure who remained cloaked by the unnatural shadow of the small apartment.

"Is that why you've been following him all day?" Anko asked smugly. She was sure that whoever this person was, they had been tailing the boy for the better part of the day.

To Anko's surprise, the figure laughed.

"_All day_?" it hissed in dark delight. "I've followed the boy since his _birth, _watching him and biding my time. It is only recently that I have permitted him to become aware of my presence..."

Anko gulped. She had really misread this situation. Here she was, facing down what could be the most dangerous foe of her life, all because of a mere curiosity about the Uzumaki boy from earlier. She could be sitting back in Dangoya, eating another four platters of dango, but NO: She just had to go and do this!

Anko steadied her breathing and thought logically about her situation. The mysterious figure could be bluffing, but Anko's instincts were telling her that this figure was being honest about their claim that they had shadowed the boy since his birth. She knew next to nothing about said figure's abilities: For example, were they a close, mid, or long-range fighter? Were they even a ninja? Anko was so intent on trying to decipher anything he could use to her advantage that she almost missed what the phantom-like figure said next.

"Don't worry," said the figure in a tone that was making Anko do just that.

"You don't have to fight me. After all, you'll be too busy fighting yourself."

The figure stepped into the light to reveal a person garbed in a completely black cloak, and a blood-red mask in the shape of a fox. They had a tall physique, and from what Anko could tell, they were well-muscled. The masked figure reached out a hand, which Anko discovered (to her horror) was a skeleton's hand, and pointed a bony finger right at her.

"Aku Nijū Hōhō no Jutsu (Evil Double Method Technique)" the figure rasped.

At first, Anko wasn't sure what to expect. She was able to deduce however that, whoever the figure was they had at least proven themselves to be a ninja. Anko narrowed her eyes as she crouched in a defensive position with her kunai raised. She had never heard of a technique like that before!

And then, all at once: Anko felt like something was being torn out of her, and she screamed. The figure ran through several rapid handsigns as Anko began to howl in pain and slammed their hand on the wooden floor of the apartment, where a sealing formula appeared.

Anko blearily opened her eyes as she felt convulsion after convulsion of pain tearing through her every nerve and glared defiantly at her attacker, who chuckled in response.

"That's good," it mused, nodding its head in approval. "The stronger your emotions are, the harder your fight shall be!"

Anko winced as she felt a particularly strong jolt of pain pass through her gut. As an ex-ANBU operative, she was trained to be able to resist pain and torture, but something about the pain she was feeling now, was not like anything she'd ever felt. It literally felt like her soul was being ripped in half, as impossible as it sounded to her. She bit down on her lip frantically, drawing blood, and tried to form the handseals to perform a summoning jutsu.

It was no good. Her body twitched in agonizing pain all over, and the feeling only intensified as she attempted to draw on her chakra. The figure tittered amusedly at her effort.

"Don't fret," it hissed, going through a long chain of handsigns at a dizzying pace. "You'll be free to move soon enough!"

* * *

><p>With that, the masked figure slammed its hands on the floor once more, and Anko felt the worst pain course through her yet, as a dark mass of something seemed to peel of her body, like one of her snake summons shedding its skin.<p>

The figure reached into its cloak and produced four tags which it tossed at the corners of the apartment casually and clapped his hands together, and chanted:

"_Fuin! _(Seal!)"

There was a faint flash of blue light and Anko noticed that everything seemed to become muffled somewhat.

'_A Silencing Seal?' _she wondered blearily as she panted on the floor. The pain hadvanishedcompletely, but she was fatigued from the ordeal nonetheless.

The figure made its way toward the mass of shadow that had 'peeled' off of Anko's body and placed its skeletal hand upon it. As its hand made contact with the silhouette, it began to morph and elongate, taking on a tangible form. The masked figure turned to Anko and cackled:

"Now, you can fight to your heart's content, Anko Mitarashi," it stated with a delighted tone. "And NO ONE will notice a thing!"

Anko dragged herself to her feet and tossed her kunai haphazardly at the shadowy figure, who deflected it easily, as if swatting away a bothersome fly. The kunai embedded itself in the floor, and a small piece of steel from the kunai skittered in the opposite direction.

'_it's one thing to deflect the kunai, but to BREAK it?' _Anko thought in horrified awe as she watched the figure lower its hand. The figure chuckled again and began to slowly dissolve into shadow.

"I hope for your sake you show me an entertaining battle, Mitarashi-san," it chided as it sank into the floor as if it were liquid. "I'll be watching..."

And with that, the phantom-like figure vanished entirely.

* * *

><p>Anko staggered to her feet and <em>glared<em> at the spot where the mysterious specter disappeared.

"What fight are they talking about?" she whispered in confusion.

"If you ask me, I'd say our fight." Said an eerily familiar voice, that Anko immediately recognized.

Anko glanced in the direction of the voice and gasped. Standing where the mass of shadow that had split off of her body had been no less than seconds ago, was someone she definitely knew:

_Herself_.

**AN: How's Anko going to deal with the 'shadow's' jutsu? Who _is _the mysterious Shadow? Find out next time for some answers...Maybe. *_I__nsert maniacal laugh here_***


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:**** I'm _sorry _that I'm being so _evil_ guys. But, what fun would this story be if everything made sense right away? No, I'm going to keep making you bite your fingernails. Muwahahahahaha! Seriously though, this chapter was FUN to write, and I hope you enjoy it! Remember to review and send pairing ideas!**

**Chapter 09:**

Sarutobi narrowed his eyes in rapt contemplation of what Anko had just reported to him so far.

"So, you've actually met the 'shadow', I see." he mused, stroking his beard gingerly. Anko nodded solemnly. He then glanced over at Naruto who was staring at Anko with wide eyes.

"Something to say, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto perked up at the sound of his name and regarded Sarutobi for a moment, as if trying to decide how to phrase his question.

"Well," he began hesitantly. "Why is this 'shadow guy' after me? I don't understand it, Old Man!"

Anko and Sarutobi exchanged a _tense_ look before Sarutobi turned back to Naruto, who was looking at him pleadingly, waiting for an answer. Sarutobi leaned back in his chair and sighed dejectedly.

"I'm not sure, Naruto-kun." Sarutobi replied.

Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly at Sarutobi's answer. He could tell that the Old Man knew exactly why he was being targeted, and it frustrated him to no end that he was being lied to. Naruto opened his mouth to demand the truth, but was interrupted by Sarutobi who shot a pointed glance at him and added:

"Perhaps if we let Anko-chan continue her story, we can find out the answer."

Naruto sighed and nodded reluctantly. He gave Sarutobi a look that clearly said: 'You're going to tell me the truth after this!'

Sarutobi chuckled slightly at Naruto's indignant expression and turned to Anko, (who watched their exchange with an amused glint in her brown eyes), and nodded at her, prompting her to continue her story.

Anko's expression turned serious once more, and she proceeded to continue recounting her tale.

* * *

><p>Anko looked on in a kind of horrified astonishment as she examined the 'Shadow Anko' that stood across from her with an evil glint in her eyes.<p>

"No way." Anko whispered in disbelief. Shadow Anko laughed and crossed her arms.

"Yes way." She replied, taking a few steps toward Anko who stumbled back slightly. Shadow Anko reached into her jacket and withdrew a kunai, and began to twirl it across her fingers with a casual ease.

"Well, we should probably get this show on the road," she said nonchalantly. "The Master is watching, so I'd rather not make him wait to see something 'entertaining' as he put it!"

Anko gulped and withdrew her own kunai. She quickly reached for her pouch on her waist, and grasped some ninja wire, hoping to catch her doppelganger off-guard.

"Ah," remarked Shadow Anko, cocking an eyebrow in feigned interest. "The good old ninja wire maneuver eh?"

Anko tensed and looked at her double in shock. Shadow Anko sighed and lowered her kunai and shrugged,

"I'm a double of you, stupid." She remarked scathingly. "I know all of your tricks! There isn't a way for you to catch me off guard!"

Anko gritted her teeth and released the ninja wire in her hand back into her pouch. She raised her kunai to her face and grinned.

"We'll just have to see about that!"

* * *

><p>The fight was <em>brutal<em>.

Anko wasn't really one to ever feel bad for others, but she did feel terrible about the state of the Uzumaki boy's apartment after her fight with her shadow self. Almost all of the boy's furniture was ruined, kunai and shuriken were scattered about, impaling everything from the floor to the kitchen cabinets. Luckily, the two of them somehow managed to spare the apartment windows, although Anko had no clue as to how.

Speaking of her double, she glanced down at herself, (boy, that was a weird statement!) who was beaten, bruised, and tied up tightly in a triple-knotted tangle of ninja wire. Anko had made sure to knock her evil double unconscious; it wouldn't do to have her wake up and begin her onslaught again.

Anko began to pick up the many ninja tools scattered around the small, run-down apartment, making sure not to leave anything that could incriminate her. She had technically broken into someone's house, after all. No doubt the boy would be home soon, and it would be really bad if he somehow could trace the destruction back to its source: namely, her. Regardless, Anko had no doubt that the Hokage would send ANBU to investigate the apartment anyways, but it couldn't hurt to cover her bases.

Several minutes later, when she was convinced she had cleaned up the best she could, Anko made her way for the kitchen. As she entered the room she noticed something glinting on the floor and crouched down to inspect it. To her surprise, she found the small piece of her kunai that the 'Shadow' had broken off when she tried to attack him/her earlier. Anko scowled as she thought that. She was beginning to wonder if the 'Shadow' was even human! She had never seen powers like its before, and the way it used that duplicating jutsu to create a 'shadow' of her...it was definitely abnormal.

Anko picked up the piece of discarded metal and made her way to the window before she smacked her forehead in realization.

"I can't BELIEVE I almost left without the 'shadow me'!"

She hurried back to where she left the unconscious double of herself tied up on the floor and carefully picked up the body, positioning it over her shoulder in a fireman's carry.

When she returned to the kitchen, she unlocked the latches on the window and propped it open as quietly as she could, glancing warily for any ANBU or patrols as she did so. When she was satisfied that she was in the clear, she hoisted her double's body out the window first, and placed the discarded piece of her kunai on the windowsill outside next. It would be bad if she stabbed herself as she tried to sneak out quietly.

By the time Anko got herself outside, she scanned her surroundings again for patrols and the like. Seeing and sensing none, she hoisted her double in her arms again and prepared to grab the piece of kunai on the windowsill. Just then, she spotted a lone ninja roof-hopping in her direction. He hadn't noticed her yet, but she couldn't afford to linger where she was, with a body draped over her shoulders! Can you say: shady?

She decided to cut her losses and leapt off the window ledge of the apartment and made her way down to street level, where she quietly and carefully made her way by shadows and stealth back to her own apartment. Her shadow-double in tow.

* * *

><p>When Anko finished her story, both Sarutobi and Naruto were silent for a while. But of course, Naruto (being Naruto) couldn't stand the silence for long before he asked what was most likely on Sarutobi's mind as well:<p>

"Okay, that explains about the break-in at my apartment, AND the kunai fragment that I found," he began suspiciously. "But, what did you do with your double's body, then?"

Sarutobi nodded his agreement to Naruto's question. Anko smiled and began to answer when the door to the office burst open with a loud 'BANG' to reveal...

An incredibly bruised and beaten Anko Mitarashi, who limped in urgently, pointing accusingly at the 'Anko' standing in front of the desk.

* * *

><p>"Lord Hokage!" Anko shouted. "Get Naruto out of here! That's <em>not <em>the real me!"

Sarutobi's eyes narrowed coldly as he swiftly got up from his chair and made towards Naruto.

"I thought something was off when I unleashed my killer intent earlier," Sarutobi mused as he flashed toward Naruto, shielding him protectively. He signaled with his hand and four ANBU flickered into view, adding yet another protective wall for Naruto, who looked back and forth between the Anko at the desk in bewilderment, who was still smiling, and the Anko in the doorway who was glaring daggers at her counterpart.

"The real Anko Mitarashi wouldn't have reacted so strongly to it. I gave you the benefit of the doubt because of the ordeal you just explained but now that I know the truth..."

Sarutobi's killing intent blasted out of him like a dam bursting open. He flashed to 'Anko' and grasped her by the throat holding her a foot off the ground and roared:

"SURRENDER NOW, OR DIE WHERE YOU STAND!"

'Anko' grinned evilly and melted into shadow, easily escaping the Hokage's grip. She slithered her way to the large window behind the desk and reformed, turning to address the group before her.

"**My Master **_**will **_**possess the fox, Hiruzen Sarutobi. **_**One way or another**_..."

And with a sound like a lightning strike, the shadow-double of Anko Mitarashi crashed out the window of the Hokage's office, sending glass everywhere, and disappeared into the night, without a trace.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:**** Hey everyone! Sorry about the late update, my job kept me busy the last few days, and I could barely get a moment to type anything! I wrote this chapter while away, but waited to get home before uploading it. Now that I'm home, it's back to business as usual. In this chapter, things get a little more complex for our whiskered hero, and a surprise is in store for Naruto! Remember to review and let me know what you think! I'm getting closer to coming up with Naruto's pairing, but I'm still open for suggestions!**

**Chapter 10:**

Sarutobi ran to the now shattered window and stared out of it impassively. Of course, the shadow-double of Anko Mitarashi was nowhere to be seen, but Sarutobi had no doubt that they'd see her again. Taking a deep sigh, he turned to Naruto, who was slack-jawed and looking at the spot where Anko's double had vanished in shock.

Sarutobi walked over calmly to the boy and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

"Are you alright Naruto-kun?" he asked softly. Naruto's sapphire eyes looked up at him fearfully.

"Old Man," Naruto gasped. "W-What's going on? Why are there people after me? What did she mean by getting a _Fox_?"

Sarutobi tensed slightly, which did not go unnoticed by young Naruto. Naruto's eyes narrowed and he regarded Sarutobi suspiciously. However, Sarutobi was not known as 'The Professor' for nothing, and expertly changed the direction in which the conversation was heading, by turning his focus on Anko, who was clutching at her arm and panting heavily.

"Anko-chan," Sarutobi said solemnly. "What happened to you? We should get you to the hospital at once!"

Anko waved Sarutobi off.

"I'll go after I tell you what I've found out sir," Anko's brown eyes regarded Naruto carefully.

"Can you ask Naruto to leave for a moment?" she added. "This information is..._sensitive._"

Naruto scowled deeply and crossed his arms defiantly.

"You two _know _what's going on!" Naruto protested. "I'm not going anywhereuntil I get some answers!"

Naruto fixed his gaze on Sarutobi pleadingly.

"_Please _Old Man!" he continued. "I need to understand what's happening to me!"

Sarutobi heaved a heavy sigh and rubbed his beard in rapt contemplation and turned his gaze back on Anko who was watching Naruto with something akin to sympathy.

"Anko-chan," Sarutobi dictated. "Naruto-kun may stay. He has just as much right to hear your story as anyone, but first..."

Sarutobi went through a series of rapid handsigns and the room glowed with a faint blue light.

"I've put up a sound barrier," Sarutobi explained casually. "We must keep this report between ourselves."

Sarutobi turned to Naruto and regarded him seriously.

"Do you understand, Naruto-kun? You must not tell _anyone."_

Naruto nodded that he understood completely, and Sarutobi walked back to his desk, and sat down, gesturing for Anko to begin her report.

* * *

><p>To say that Sarutobi was surprised after Anko's tale of her subsequent defeat and information on the mysterious figure that Naruto claimed was his 'shadow' would <em>not<em> have done the old Hokage justice. He was downright _alarmed _that such a person was able to navigate his village's streets completely unnoticed by ANBU or the other ninja of the village.

Most of all, he worried for Naruto's safety. He _knew _that if the mystery man wanted, he could easily let slip about Naruto's tenant to whomever he wished. This wouldn't be so much of an issue if Naruto was at least genin, but the boy was only six! To put so much responsibility on his shoulders at a young age, literally made Sarutobi's heart hurt. But at this point, he wouldn't have a choice in the matter. Naruto need trained now. But who could do the job without prejudice of his tenant?

Sarutobi's thoughts were interrupted by Naruto who cleared his throat loudly and glared at him.

"Yes, Naruto-kun?" Sarutobi sighed regarding the boy he considered to be his surrogate grandson. Naruto crossed his arms again and tapped his foot impatiently.

"I _still _want to know what the fake snake lady meant by possessing a fox! You haven't explained that part to me!"

Anko and Sarutobi exchanged a glance and turned their attention back on the young boy. Sarutobi reached for his pipe and packed it.

"I'm afraid I can't say anything about it Naruto-kun," Sarutobi apologized miserably. "When you become a genin you may ask me and I _promise _I will tell you, but for now, you are not ready for the information."

If looks could kill, Naruto would have murdered Sarutobi eight times with his frosty glare.

"Not _again_, Old Man!" Naruto whined. "You say the _same _thing when I ask you about my parents! I think I've earned the right to know about stuff that concerns me!"

Anko shook her head at Naruto.

"You don't get it brat," she said flatly. "Lord Hokage has to keep many secrets to keep the village running smoothly. You can't just march in here and demand answers to things. Besides, he _promised _to tell you, so just shut up and be patient until he does!"

Naruto scowled at Anko who scowled back equally. Their staring contest lasted for a full minute until they were abruptly interrupted by Sarutobi who cleared his throat importantly.

"Anko-chan," he said, getting the Snake Mistress' attention. "I know you are tired from your ordeal, and would like to retire to the hospital for treatment, but there is something of the utmost importance I need to discuss with you."

Anko straightened at once, which made her wince slightly. She was still in a decent amount of pain from her fight with her shadow self. Sarutobi frowned at Naruto.

"Naruto-kun, I will have Neko escort you back to your apartment tonight, and she will watch over you to make sure your 'shadow' does not bother you again. Neko?"

At the sound of her name, the cat-masked ANBU materialized in front of the Hokage's desk, bowing reverently on one knee.

"Yes Lord Third?" she asked monotonously.

"You heard everything I need from you, I take it?" Sarutobi questioned as he inhaled from his pipe. Neko responded with a prompt nod, and Sarutobi leaned back in his chair.

"Please be vigilant Neko," Sarutobi cautioned. "I do not wish for an incident similar to the one we've had tonight to occur again. Keep Naruto-kun safe."

Neko glanced at the indignant boy and nodded again to the Hokage, who exhaled a cloud of tobacco smoke., and turned to Naruto.

"Now, go get some much needed rest Naruto-kun," the Hokage said genially. "I will have a surprise for you tomorrow morning. One that I'm sure you'll like."

Naruto, (who was still glaring ruefully at the occupants of the room) perked up at once upon hearing the word 'surprise'.

"Really Old Man?" he said exuberantly. "I'm holding you to that!"

Sarutobi nodded with a slight smile and gestured for Neko and Naruto to leave the room. When the double oak doors of his office closed, leaving no trace of Neko and Naruto, Sarutobi turned to Anko who still stood at attention.

"Anko, we have much to discuss."

* * *

><p>Naruto could have done <em>without <em>the shunshin from the foot of the Hokage Tower with Neko to his apartment living room. When they arrived, Naruto promptly ran for the bathroom and emptied his stomach in nausea.

Neko giggled softly in amusement when Naruto stumbled back into the living room, only to glare at her scornfully.

"Hey Neko-san?" Naruto asked innocently. Neko nodded at him to continue.

"If you need to take me home from now on, let's just walk, okay?"

Neko nodded and said:

"But Naruto-san," she admonished. "You are going to be a ninja someday, are you not?"

Naruto titled his head to the side and squinted his eyes in confusion. Neko shook her head in amazement.

'_Honestly,' _she thought resignedly. _'The boy can be so perceptive at times it's frightening, but he is clueless about simple things!'_

"Naruto-san, the shunshin is a technique that _all _ninja utilize to some degree. You'll have to learn how to use it eventually."

Naruto frowned and crossed his arms.

"I'll just make up a super-cool way to travel _without _doing that!" He argued. Neko just sighed and walked towards his apartment door.

"I'll be outside keeping watch for any undesirables, Naruto-san," Neko informed him, as she opened the door. "Just call for me if something happens, I will respond immediately and assist you."

Naruto nodded and with a soft snap of the lock, Neko vanished out the door and into the night.

* * *

><p>Naruto got ready for bed, thoroughly enjoying having hot shower water for once, and brushed his teeth. He crawled into bed and stared at his ceiling for a while, wondering if Neko-san was still hanging out on his rooftop. He wondered about the Old Man's surprise for him and couldn't help but speculate over <em>what <em>it could possibly be.

About an hour later, Naruto found his eyelids getting heavy and tossed in his sheets to get comfortable as he drifted off to dreamland, excited at the prospect of his surprise tomorrow.

Too bad his dreams would keep him awake in terror all night.

**AN: Poor Naruto. Kept in the dark and being hunted. And his dreams? You'll have to find out what _that'll _entail next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:**** Hello again my readers! I thought that it'd be cool to give you guys another chapter as a Thanksgiving treat! For all of you readers here in the states, have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm going to have the itis really bad today, so we'll see how writing goes! This chapter will introduce a familiar face and Naruto will confront someone! Without further ado: enjoy, read, and review!**

**Chapter 11**

The first thing Naruto was aware of when he blearily opened his eyes was that _wherever _he was, it was _dark._

Naruto shakily got to his feet and observed his surroundings, r at least what he could make out in the dim light. It looked like a sewer of some kind, which did _not _make him happy.

"How did I get here?" Naruto asked out loud. Then with a scowl he glanced around again and came to his first illogical answer.

'I bet the villagers kidnapped me, tossed me in here, and are all laughing hysterically, _while_ eating ramen!"

_No one_ ever said Naruto was the most reasonable of thinkers.

Just as he continued to lament his misfortune of being the _only _resident of Konohagakure who would not be eating ramen, as warm breeze blew past him, coming from down the hallway of the dark tunnel. With some trepidation, Naruto began to venture further down the tunnel, using the damp sewer wall on either side as a guide-rail of sorts.

At last, Naruto exited the narrow tunnel into a large, cavernous room. The ceiling was so high, it seemed to reach endlessly into dark abyss above. The lightning was slightly better, so Naruto had to take a quick moment to let his eyesight adjust before trekking further into the large room. As he did so, he noticed what looked like a large gate with a paper tag on it. Getting closer, and fighting a building feeling of dread as he did so, Naruto was able to make out the word 'seal' engraved on the paper.

'_Well, that's weird.' _He thought in confusion. _'What's something like that doing in a place like this?'_

As Naruto examined the seal tag more closely he was surprised to hear something akin to loud snores coming from behind the bars. Building up what little courage he had in his gut, he meekly asked into the void:

"Is someone in here?"

For the rest of Naruto Uzumaki's life, he would _never _forget the moment he met his tenant.

* * *

><p>Instead of what most would assume is a typical response such as: Yes, or Indeed, there <em>is <em>someone here, or even the standard: Yes: and who's there? Naruto was greeted by this:

"**You're loud kid, shut up."**

Naruto blinked and stood there with a gobsmacked expression upon his face, before he crossed his arms and bellowed in reply:

"Who's back there? Show yourself!"

There was a low growling sound that Naruto was _not _a fan of, and he was greeted by a large pair of eyes with red slits for pupils. There was a flash of red light and Naruto was able to see _just _what he was addressing.

A large, orange-red fox with nine tails.

Naruto blinked again, and then did what _any _six-year-old child would do when confronted by a beast such as the one before him.

He screamed, stumbled backwards landing on his butt, and _tried _to crawl away as far as possible from the fox, who chuckled at his reaction.

"What in the world _are you?!" _Naruto screeched. The fox rolled its blood red eyes and scoffed indignantly.

**"Seriously?" **it asked in a monotone. **"Are you stupid? I'm a fox. A really big fox, kid."**

Naruto scowled and slowly rose from his haunches, and warily approached the bars.

"No duh," he said scathingly. "But why do you seem so familiar?"

The fox regarded Naruto for a moment before yawning and swishing one of its tails indifferently.

** "I suppose because I'm the stuff of your stupid villages nightmares kid! I am the great and powerful, all-knowing Kyuubi no Youko! But that's Lord Kyuubi to you shrimp!"**

Naruto stared at the now named Kyuubi in shock. Of _course _he knew about the Kyuubi! Everyone in Konoha knew! This fox before him was responsible for attack the village a few years back, and decimating Konoha's ninja and civilian populace. In fact, ever since that fateful night when the rampaging fox showed up, Konoha's shinobi forces were still lower than they should be. Naruto had heard the Old Man complain about it _many _times.

Kyuubi was striking an impressive pose that Naruto couldn't help but laugh at. When Kyuubi heard this however, he was _anything _but pleased.

**"No, no, no!" **Kyuubi roared in outrage. **"My pose is meant to strike fear into the hearts of mortals! You shouldn't be laughing! You should be all: Oh my Kami! Lord Kyuubi please don't gnaw on my head!"**

Naruto just laughed harder. It was surprising really; this creature that literally _was _a fearsome monster was _actually _more mellow than Naruto thought! It did present an interesting question for Naruto though, and he promptly asked it.

"Okay, my bad _Lord Kyuubi_," Naruto said sarcastically. The fox narrowed his eyes in irritation. "But I have a question: Why are you here, locked up? And speaking of _here, _where are we?"

Kyuubi lowered his head so he was somewhat level with Naruto and laid down on all fours. He stared at Naruto for what seemed like an eternity before Naruto (who was getting quite annoyed at being ignored) bellowed:

"_Well!_?"

Kyuubi snorted and clicked his tongue.

"**I **_**really **_**should just eat you," **he sighed. "**But, the seal won't let me..."**

Naruto paled at that and took a step away from the cage for good measure.

"What do you mean: the _seal _won't let you? And _why _would you eat me? I haven't done anything to you!"

Kyuubi growled derisively.

"**You laughed at my pose! And my titles! And to top it all off, that stupid Hokage of yours sealed me inside of you!"**

Naruto took _several _steps backward at that piece of information.

_ Sealed? What did that mean?_

_ "What _are you talking about Fox?!" Naruto shouted in disbelief.

Kyuubi sat up on his haunches and grinned down at Naruto. He pointed one of his tails at the boy as if indicating something.

**"Oh it's really quite simple boy," **it said casually. **"When I attacked your village, which was **_**not **_**entirely my fault; but I digress: Your leader the Fourth Hokage sealed me into you. You're what is called a Jinchuuriki, meaning a person who has a tailed beast sealed inside of them. And since you have me, the most powerful of the tailed beasts, that shadow guys is going to keep coming after you, to get to me."**

Naruto grabbed his head in pain. He had no clue what the fox was talking about! He had this monster of a fox sealed _inside _him? That was why the shadow person was trying to get their hands on him? Why didn't anyone tell him this?

"Why didn't the Old Man...?" Naruto asked dejectedly. Kyuubi yawned and laid back down again.

"**I'd assume he never told you because it would have been too much of a shock for your puny mind to comprehend. After all, I am quite awesome."**

Naruto glared at the fox who stared right back, as if daring the boy to contradict him on his awesomeness. So instead, Naruto just sighed and shook his head.

"Great, now I know _why _the village despises me."

* * *

><p>Kyuubi's eyes narrowed and he sniffed the air cautiously. He tensed, getting Naruto's attention, and turned to look at his young jailer.<p>

**"Listen kid," **Kyuubi said urgently. "**As much as I love watching you beat yourself up, we've got other problems to deal with. Mainly, **_**him."**_

Naruto cocked an eyebrow at the Nine-Tailed Fox suspiciously.

"Who are you talking about fox?"

Kyuubi growled menacingly and looked towards the entrance of his chamber. Naruto followed his gaze and felt his blood run cold, and his mind begin to shut down in fright.

Standing in the ankle-high water, without even alerting Naruto that they were there, was a figure donned in a black cloak, and a blank white mask. Naruto paled when he realized that the aura coming off of this mysterious person was the very _same _aura he felt when he noticed he was being tailed by someone: This person.

The masked figure slowly made their way into the chamber.

"Well, well, Naruto Uzumaki," the voice rasped. The sound made Naruto unconsciously shiver.

"We meet at last."

**AN:**** And our friend Mr. Shadow shows up. How? Why? And what does he want? Find out this and more in the next chapter of the Fox's Shadow! BTW: Still taking pairing suggestions so keep em' coming! I've gotten some really good ones so far!**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN:****Yo! Hope everyone who this applies to had a good Thanksgiving! Anyways, I didn't fall victim to a food coma, so I was more than able to post today! As always R&R and let me know what you think! The Shadow dominates this chapter, so I hope you're all ready for it! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 12:**

Nothing was said for a few tense moments as Naruto stared his 'stalker' for the last week and a half down. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity Naruto said:

"Who are you?"

The figure chuckled sinisterly and shook his head.

"Who I am is not important, Naruto-kun," it chastised. Naruto felt white hot anger trickling into him. What did this guy mean: _not important? _

_ "_I'd say that it _is _pretty important!" Naruto retorted, pointing accusingly at the figure. "You're the one who's been following me for the past week and a half! I want to know why!"

The figure sighed and shook his head even more vigorously.

"Ah, I see you're confused," the figure stated. "I've been following you since you were _born _Naruto-kun. I know more about your desires and feelings than _anyone."_

Naruto lost his train of thought after the mysterious figure's reply. This person claimed to have followed him his entire life? But how?

"If you're wondering _how_," the figure continued, as if reading Naruto's thoughts, "I only _allowed _you to become aware of me recently, as your 'Prisoner' there had begun to stir. I had _no _doubts that once I revealed myself, the Kyuubi would wake as well. We're..._connected _you see..."

Naruto _didn't _see. His first instinct was to do something foolish, such as shout the man down, but his survival instincts were screaming something completely different: They were telling him that this was a foe no one, not even the Old Man could take head-on. There was something inhuman about him, almost as if he didn't belong on the same plane of existence as Naruto.

The boy glanced back at the Kyuubi, who was watching the masked figure warily, as if it was waiting for him to do something, make some sort of aggressive action. Naruto knew absolutely _nothing _about his prisoner, except that it had attacked his home years ago. But something the fox had said earlier made him feel slightly hopeful.

** "**_**And since you have me, the most powerful of the tailed beasts, that shadow guy is going to keep coming after you, to get to me."**_

**"**Hey, Kyuubi." Naruto said, not daring to take his eyes off of his 'shadow'. The fox responded with a huff to show that it was listening, or at least; Naruto _assumed _it was.

"Since this guy is obviously _bad news _for both of us, shouldn't you help me or something?"

The fox blinked and scowled down at Naruto.

"**Oh sure!" **The fox responded sarcastically. "**Let me just undo this seal, stretch a little bit, and I'll get right on that!"**

Naruto wheeled around to scowl at the great fox.

"You know," he growled. "Sarcasm _doesn't _suit you!"

The fox huffed indignantly.

"**Well, having a stupid brat for a host also **_**doesn't **_**suit me, but beggars can't be choosers."**

The two continued to glower at each other before Kyuubi quickly bellowed:

**"Oi, Brat: LOOK OUT!"**

Naruto spun around and barely avoided the skeletal hand that had been reaching for his throat. He sloshed in the ankle-deep water and rolled to his feet awkwardly, stumbling as he did so.

"Whoa! Close one!" Naruto huffed. He glared at his attacker. "What's the big idea!?"

The figure glanced down at his outstretched hand disappointingly and turned to face our whiskered hero.

"I'm not as fast as I'd like to be," the figure murmured. "And this is very taxing on my chakra to materialize in your mindscape like this..."

Naruto narrowed his brow at the figure and backed up towards the cavern's wall warily.

"What are you talking about? What's a mindscape?"

The Kyuubi just face-palmed from its cage.

"**I'll **_**never**_** understand why you mortals assume that the 'bad guy' will just sit down and explain **_**what **_**they mean to you!"**

Naruto once again glared at the Kyuubi who cocked an eyebrow in challenge. Naruto held firm and the great fox sighed.

"**Listen carefully shrimp-" **began the fox, only to have to endure a dozen or so choice words from the boy, who was adamantly defending his height. "**Your mindscape is essentially where your mental and physical energies converge..."**

Naruto squinted at the fox, trying to make out the last bit of information. He was obviously failing, however. The Kyuubi groaned.

"**It's like a home for your energies. I'm sure if you can pull your head out of your butt long enough, you'll learn about them soon. Anyways, only **_**you **_**should be able to exist here. I don't count, since I'm sealed inside you. This is where my form exists...Get it?"**

Now, Naruto may act like a dunce sometimes, but he's not stupid. People never gave him any credit! Did they really think an idiot could effectively prank a village, while remaining anonymous? Especially in a village full of ninja? Of course not! But that didn't stop people from thinking he was a few marbles short of the bunch. Stupid villagers.

He nodded at the Kyuubi's explanation and face the dark figure who was still standing in the same place, watching him intently.

"So, your saying that _this _person," Naruto began, pointing at the masked figure. "Isn't _supposed _to be able to be here? Then how do I get him out?"

Kyuubi thought for a moment and then replied:

"**I would think that you would simply **_**force **_**him out."**

Naruto sweat-dropped.

'_It was that easy?' _He thought.

The figure laughed openly and, for a third time, shook his head.

"There's no need to try that Naruto-kun," it said dismissively. "Firstly: you're not strong enough to do that to me, even _with _the Kyuubi's help,"

Both Naruto and the Kyuubi bristled at that jibe. Naruto more so, because he knew that it was true, at least; for him.

"And secondly," the figure continued. "I'm not here to fight you, in fact: I've come with a simple favor..."

Naruto almost had to ask the figure to repeat itself. ' _A favor?' _He thought in wonderment. '_This guy stalks me my whole life, and all he wanted was a favor?'_

"Why couldn't you just ask me for the favor? Why all the sneaking around, huh?" Naruto asked in annoyance. The figure chuckled.

"Oh, this _isn't _the kind of favor you can just ask on the street. It is, in a manner of speaking, a life-and-death kind of thing."

Naruto's gaze hardened.

"Then what do you want?"

The figure stood quietly for what seemed like forever, before he simply replied.

"I want you to entertain me by staying alive, Naruto-kun."

Naruto clenched his fists in outrage.

"WHAT THE HELL KIND OF REQUEST IS _THAT_, YOU JACKASS!?"

The figure remained silent, and then turned to the Kyuubi, as if Naruto's outburst was irrelevant; which to the figure, it probably was.

"And you, Nine-Tails," the masked figure continued. "Do what you will, as long as you do not get _taken _before I can get my hands on you."

Kyuubi's fur stood up on end in rage, and he snarled belligerently.

"**YOU **_**DARE **_**TO COMMAND ME!? COME HERE AND I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO INSULT ME!"**

The masked figure made no move to approach the enraged tailed beast, and instead returned its stoic gaze onto Naruto, who was still angry about the figure's earlier 'request'.

"That is all I have to say to you, _personally. _But, I feel it is only fair to warn you Naruto-kun..."

Naruto gulped and backed farther away at the cold feeling he was getting up his spine from the figure's stare.

"I will not stop _following_ you. I will not stop _testing_ you. And most of all..."

At this point, the cold, foreboding aura was so strong it was become tangible in the cavernous room. Even the Kyuubi stumbled back a step from its potency.

"I _will_ possess the fox, and when I require it, you _will _give it to me, along with your life, **willingly**."

And with that, the mysterious figure vanished in an eerie gust of shadow into nothingness, while Naruto woke up in his bed, screaming: the masked figure's warning dominating his thoughts.

**AN:** **Thoughts?**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:**** Firstly, I'd like to thank all of you that have followed, reviewed, and favorited this story, as it means a lot to me! Secondly, here's a treat for ya! Another chapter! Just kidding: I would've posted it anyways! But seriously: you guys are awesome! SO here's chapter 13!**

**Chapter 13:**

When Naruto awoke, he was greeted by a sight that _almost _made him yell out in fright again.

Right in front of his bed, sword drawn and ready for battle was Neko the ANBU, who was scanning the confines of his bedroom warily. When she made eye contact with him, she lowered her blade.

"Is everything alright, Naruto-san?" she asked. "I heard you yell and came immediately."

Naruto nodded absentmindedly, but didn't respond. He _wanted _to say that everything was fine, but he wasn't sure that it _was. _He had just been told that he had the very monster that tore apart Konohagakure on a rampage sealed inside of him, not to mention that his 'Shadow' had appeared before him and gave him a chilling message. The very thought of that encounter made Naruto shiver again, causing Neko to approach him cautiously.

When she was close enough to observe him she simply asked:

"Bad dream?"

Naruto nodded quickly and averted his eyes from her cat-like mask and replied shakily:

"You have no idea, Neko-san."

Neko nodded slightly and then put away her sword. She walked silently towards the door, still scanning the room for anything amiss before adding:

"You've been through a rough couple of days Naruto-san," she said consolingly. "You should try and rest. If anything else happens, know that I will keep you safe, as it is my duty to protect you."

Naruto smiled slightly. Besides the Old Man, _no one _had ever spoken to him like that before. The mere idea made him feel good.

"Thanks, Neko-san."

She nodded and left the room, departing for what Naruto assumed was his rooftop.

The next thing Naruto did was try to sort out his thoughts. He found that when he did this, he was able to find out things he might have missed, or overlooked. He didn't dwell on what the masked figure had said to him, _that _was easily recalled. He couldn't blink without seeing the figure's face.

Instead, he tried to remember what he had talked to the Kyuubi about, but it all seemed like a blur of memory before the shadowy figure had appeared. He sat for several minutes in deep contemplation until he was startled out of his trance by a gruff, familiar voice.

"**Wow, and here I thought you couldn't think for more than five seconds if it _wasn't _about ramen..." **

Naruto _almost _yelled out again, but he clamped his hand on his mouth. He didn't want Neko-san to rush back into his bedroom only to find no threat to him again.

"Kyuubi?" Naruto asked into the dark quiet of his bedroom. "What the? Where are you?"

Naruto heard a scoff in reply.

"**Never mind. You _are _stupid, brat." **Kyuubi mocked, making Naruto scowl. "**I'm talking to you through your mind: seeing that I'm _still _locked in here."**

Naruto paled. What little hope he had of everything he had _just _experienced simply being a bad dream, was _gone. _The mere fact that he was communicating with the Kyuubi was all the proof he needed. He sighed and rubbed at his eyes wearily.

'_Why me?' _he thought miserably. He heard a long sigh comment directly after he thought this.

"**Brat," **replied the voice of the Kyuubi once more, "**I ask myself _that _question at least seven times a day!"**

Naruto threw his head back onto his pillow in resignation.

"How and more importantly: _why _are you talking to me?" Naruto said aloud. There was an indignant huff from the Nine-Tailed Fox as it replied:

"**Okay first off: I've already answered your first question stupid, and secondly: now that I'm awake, I have absolutely _nothing _better to do!"**

Naruto was a _little _irritated at the fox's response, but he didn't mention it. Instead, he asked another question of his tenant:

"Okay," he replied. "So are you saying that you've been sleeping inside me all this time then?"

"**Yes**," replied the Kyuubi gruffly. "**You couldn't access your chakra yet, and being that I'm a being made **_**entirely **_**of chakra, a Chakra Monster, I cannot do anything in a dormant host. So I slept. The same moment that you began to be able to sense that **_**man**_** was the same time I started to stir. I awoke as soon as you arrived in your mindscape earlier..."**

Naruto frowned from his place on his bed and glared at the ceiling in thought. The Kyuubi's answer just caused _more _questions to pop up in his head. He had no clue what a chakra monster was, nor did he understand what the fox meant by dormant host.

"What's a '_chakra monster_'?" was Naruto's next question. As usual, the Kyuubi sighed, but explained anyway.

"**Chakra Monsters are the tailed beasts," **The Kyuubi stated. "**There's a reason why I'm called the Nine-Tailed Fox. There's eight others like me (not as strong, of course!) that exist. We are called the Bijuu by your puny species." **

Naruto mulled that over for a bit before he continued his tirade of questions. He figured that he was most likely annoying his prisoner with all of his questions, but the fox didn't seem reluctant to answer any of them, so why not press his good fortune?

But like all good fortune, it has to run out. And run out it did when Naruto posed his next query.

"Do you know who that masked person is?"

Silence. Naruto wondered if the Kyuubi didn't hear his question so he asked again, only to be met by more silence. He prepared to ask once again when the Kyuubi abruptly interceded with:

"**No! And it is driving me crazy!" **The giant fox roared in outrage. "**His chakra feels familiar to me, but I can't place it at all! And the fact that he was able to enter into my prison without invitation is **_**not **_**good."**

For what felt like the umpteenth time, Naruto frowned.

"Why is that bad?" He asked curiously. "Besides, I thought it was _my _mindscape!"

The Kyuubi growled in agitation and replied:

"**You're missing the point brat. 'One does **_**not **_**simply walk into Mordor'**."

**"**Into where!?" Naruto asked in bewilderment. The Kyuubi sighed in response.

"**Never mind**," it grumbled. "**The fact is, people **_**can't **_**just walk into your mind. There **_**is **_**a clan in this Kami-forsaken village that has that ability, but even they would be incapable of reaching me. That man is not one of them, as far as I know, so **_**how **_**he accomplished such a feat is beyond me!**"

Naruto took that information in and sat up in his bed. He glanced at his battered alarm clock on his bedside table and read the time, which was half past four in the morning. He groaned.

"I can't go see the Old Man now..." he grimaced in realization. No doubt the Hokage would be _asleep_ at home right now. _Of course_, he could _still_ be in his office, but be asleep on a stack of paperwork.

The Kyuubi threw his two ryo into the equation.

"**I wouldn't recommend telling the old meat-sack about me or the shadow man just yet anyways, brat."**

Naruto pictured a mental image of himself flipping the fox off and growled:

"Hey, I actually _like _the Old Man! Don't call him names!"

The Kyuubi scoffed and continued:

"**I have no respect for those meat-sacks you call Hokage," **the fox replied scathingly. "**If you'll recall, I was sealed in here by one of them, so excuse me if I find them wanting!"**

Naruto decided that he and the Kyuubi would have to agree to disagree on that fact. Figuring that arguing with the fox would only cause it to stop answering his questions, Naruto took a calming breath and changed tact:

"_Why _shouldn't I tell the Old Man about you or the masked guy? I _trust _him. I don't trust you."

There was a pregnant pause after Naruto's comment, before the Kyuubi replied frostily:

"**I don't care if you trust me or not, brat," **it spat. "**But **_**at least **_**hear me out. If you **_**tell**_** the old meat-sack," **Hey!' "**Oh be quiet! If you tell him, what do you think he'll do?"**

That shut Naruto up. He wasn't sure what the Old Man would do, but based on what had happened when he told the Hokage about his shadow the first time...

"I dunno," Naruto replied indecisively. "I'd bet he'd assign more people to watch me?"

Naruto couldn't see it, but he could tell the Kyuubi was nodding his head.

**Not only that," **The fox added. **"But think about it: you wouldn't be able to go **_**anywhere **_**without someone tailing you. If the shadow man said that he ****_won't_ stop following you, why would you make it easier for him to do so? The more people you have tailing you..."**

Naruto's eyes widened in realization.

"You actually think it's a _good _idea to let the shadow guy continue to follow me!? That's stupid, it's crazy, it's...!"

"**Smart." **

Naruto blinked and lowered his arms, which were gesticulating wildly in the air to show his disapproval, and simply commented:

"How is that smart?"

The fox sighed again, chastising itself for even bothering to explain to the boy.

"**Haven't you ever heard the saying: keep your friends close, but your enemies **_**closer**_**?" **

Naruto bowed his head and glared at his blankets, balling a wad of them in his fists.

"No," he replied bitterly. "Why would I? I don't have any friends! _Just_ enemies apparently."

The fox fell silent as did Naruto, who continued to think on that fact, until sleep took him into its embrace.

* * *

><p>After a night of restless sleep, Naruto was awoken by a bright light in his face. He blearily opened his eyes, only to squeeze them shut tightly when he realized the 'bright light' was sunlight filtering through his windows.<p>

With a great yawn and a stretch, the boy hopped out of bed and made his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. One look in the mirror made him groan. His eyes had bags underneath them from lack of sleep. He didn't _feel _that tired, but he certainly looked that way. He assumed he was still running on adrenaline from last night's events. Speaking of last night...

"Hey, Kyuubi?" Naruto whispered. He was answered by a loud snore. He scowled. ' _It must be nice to sleep all day, stupid fox!' _He thought bitterly as he hopped in his shower.

After cleaning up and eating a healthy breakfast. Okay, scratch that. A very bad breakfast of five instant ramen, Naruto made his way towards the Hokage Tower as quickly as possible. He hadn't forgotten in the events of last night that the Old Man had told him that he had a surprise for him.

With that thought to stir him onward, he made his way to the tower, bounded up the steps, completely ignored Kimiko (who tried futilely to intercept him) and plowed right through the doors of the Hokage's office.

"Good morning, Old Man!" Naruto bellowed.

Sarutobi, who was peacefully smoking his pipe behind his desk, smiled warmly at him.

"Ah, Naruto-kun! You're early," Sarutobi said. "No doubt you're eager to hear what surprise I have in store for you?"

Naruto nodded enthusiastically and strode over to Sarutobi's desk, where he invited himself to take a seat on a chair.

"You bet, Old Man!"

Sarutobi chuckled and shook his head. Then, his face and tone grew more serious.

"Now, Naruto-kun," he began. Naruto sat up straighter in his chair. "All of this business with your 'shadow' has me worried. _Especially _after the events of last night concerning Anko-chan's imposter..."

Naruto shivered at the memory of that, and glanced at the window behind the Old Man's desk. He was surprised that it looked as good as new. Sarutobi followed the boy's gaze and smiled slightly.

"I had it replaced soon after you left," Sarutobi informed him. "I wouldn't want to catch a cold while doing my paperwork, now would I?"

Naruto and Sarutobi both shared a laugh at that.

"Going back to my earlier statement," Sarutobi said, regaining his more solemn tone. "I have decided that you _must _start training earlier than most children your age. If an event such as the one last night were to occur again, and you were not prepared, I fear what will happen. Do you understand, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto nodded excitedly. Ninja training? What six-year-old kid would pass _that _up?

Sarutobi chuckled at his expression and continued:

"And of course, to begin training, you need a sensei! And I believe I have just the perfect candidate!"

Naruto's eyes grew with poorly concealed delight. Who would he get? Someone famous? It would have to be someone who was super powerful, right?

His answer came in the form of a dark object that came hurtling towards the window of the Hokage's office rapidly. Naruto backed up at once and Sarutobi groaned as he spotted the fast moving projectile.

"I _just _had the window replaced, why would she...?"

He was rudely interrupted when the dark shape smashed through the window, tumbling and tossed four kunai and a banner into the air with deadly precision. Four ANBU appeared around the Hokage, but upon seeing the culprit began to stand down.

Naruto however, could only stare at the banner that was now set perfectly above the Hokage's desk in horror, and a slight amount of impressed awe. For it wasn't so much the way the person entered, or the fact that they were now posed ridiculously on the desk of the Hokage, but more so _who _the person happened to be...

Naruto was only able to croak out _what _the banner read before he fainted in terror and disbelief.

'_The Single, Sexy, and Unbelievably AMAZING Sensei: Anko Mitarashi!_

And as Naruto gave in to darkness, he vaguely thought that he'd be better off learning to deal with the Kyuubi and his 'shadow' on his own.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

When Naruto came to, he was vaguely aware of _something_ nudging him hard in the side, and opened his eyes groggily.

He blinked hard when he realized what was going on.

Anko Mitarashi, the _same _woman who had chased him all over the entirety of the village, tried to slice him up with a kunai, and now: had somehow (by some wicked twist of Fate) become his new sensei:

Was kicking him in the side, with an annoyed look upon her face.

Anko rolled her eyes as she noticed Naruto's indignant glare up at her.

"So, you're up?" she mocked. "I only had to kick you about eighty times...Seriously, do I really have to train someone this weak, Hokage-sama?"

Naruto glared daggers at her, and stared down Sarutobi, who was seated at his desk with a hand covering his face in resignation. When Sarutobi looked up and noticed Naruto's expression, he cracked a wry smile.

"Naruto-kun is full of surprises, Anko-chan," he said kindly. "Besides, I know that you are the best teacher for him at this point in time."

Naruto sprang to his feet and pointed accusingly at his new sensei. Completely ignoring the aching in his left ribs where he had been kicked.

"_Seriously, _Old Man!" he bellowed. "Are we looking at the _same _person here?! This is the same woman who nearly cut me to pieces and tried to feed me to her snakes!"

Anko's eye twitched in irritation, but Naruto was on a roll now.

"Not to mention," he continued. "She broke into my apartment!"

Anko's whole body twitched in irritation as her anger peaked just a tad bit more...But, Naruto _still _wasn't done.

"And _finally_," Naruto added smugly. "She got beat up by that shadow-double of herself right? How will I be able to trust that she's even _strong _enough to teach me anything?"

Naruto smiled victoriously until he saw the look of utter fear on the old Hokage's face, followed by a very cold feeling running up his spine. He hesitantly turned to look at Anko, whose face was hidden in shadow. When Anko looked up, she had a pleasant smile on her face, although her actions belied her calm disposition...

This was because she had a handful of kunai and shuriken clutched in her grasp and was pointing them all at Naruto, who went pale as a ghost and gulped.

Anko tilted her head to the side cutely and declared:

"Not strong enough am I? Lesson number one brat: DODGING AND ENDURANCE."

Naruto's cries for mercy were heard throughout the leaf village.

* * *

><p>Sarutobi held his face in his hands in utter defeat as he looked at the ruins of his office after Anko and Naruto ventured elsewhere to continue their game of 'snake hunts the fox'.<p>

Two bookshelves were toppled over, kunai and shuriken pierced the walls in various places, and if _that _wasn't bad enough...

There was his _paperwork_. His paperwork was sucked right out of the window that Anko smashed through during her 'grand entrance'. He had already dispatched a few ANBU to try and collect the drifting documents that had to be floating in numerous places throughout the village, but he knew that even the _best of the best _ninja in the village wouldn't be able to complete that mission. It was impossible. Sarutobi almost wept tears of unmitigated sorrow when Kimiko, his secretary, came into his mess of an office carrying a brand-spanking-new pile of documents and papers for him to look over. He slammed his head on his desk as fat tears ran down his cheeks .

* * *

><p>"<strong>You are <strong>_**so **_**stupid, you know that brat**?" mocked the Kyuubi in Naruto's mind, as our whiskered hero ran for his life from his enraged sensei.

Naruto's brow furrowed in agitation. He _really_ did not need this from his tenant right now.

"Shut the hell up!" Naruto roared mentally. "If you don't have a way for me to get out of this situation, then I'd like it if you just kept quiet, fox!"

There was silence for a moment before the fox replied scathingly:

"**Fine. But I'd watch where I was going if I were you..."**

Naruto blinked and looked forward, only to narrowly dodge an incoming electrical pole in the street. He stopped to catch his breath for a moment (after avoiding a potentially painful experience) when he was promptly reminded _why _he was running in the first place. A volley of shuriken whisked past him so closely he watched as a few stray strands of his golden locks fluttered right before his eyes.

With a startled yelp of panic, Naruto took to the streets again, pushing through villagers and shinobi alike, who all growled and glared at him as he passed. They stopped however, when they once again felt an oppressive aura rapidly approach them in the wake of the village outcast, and wheeled around to see the stuff of nightmares.

* * *

><p>Anko Mitarashi was on the war path. She flickered past fellow Konoha ninja and terrified villagers alike as if they were nothing but dust on the wind. How poetic. But seriously, the woman was <em>pissed. <em>

It was bad enough that she was dragged from her night on the town with her friend Kurenai Yuuhi to the Hokage's office. Understandably, she was irritated about that, but that only turned to outrage when the old geezer had requested that she take on the young Uzumaki as a student, in order to prepare him for the academy, and more importantly: if he ever had to face his mysterious 'shadow nemesis' on his own. There was a lot of screaming, pouting, and generally outlandish complaining on Anko's part, but the old Hokage had held firm in his request to the point where Anko had to acquiesce.

She didn't have anything against the boy really. Okay, that wasn't entirely true. She had nothing against the boy and his burden. She had _everything _against the fact that in the span of a day and a half of knowing him, the same boy had spit in her face, challenged her temper, _and _called her weak: right in front of her leader's face.

So, yes friends: Anko Mitarashi would be showing Naruto Uzumaki _no_ mercy whatsoever when she caught him. And she _would _catch him.

Back with Naruto, the boy was running out of steam and clever ways to delay his enraged sensei.

He thought he had lost her when he took a shortcut through the park and hid in some bushes. He was promptly reminded that the woman could summon snakes, when he found himself assaulted by a dozen of the slithering menaces from all sides of his hiding place. He _narrowly _escaped that one. He thought he lost her for a second time when he dove into a lake in a random training ground, and used his unnatural stamina to hold his breath for _at least _three minutes, when he was promptly pulled out of the water by a boa constrictor's fangs on the collar of his shirt. He whipped around in a frenzy looking for the mad woman, only to find her _standing_ on the surface of the lake, grinning triumphantly at him. When she got close enough, Naruto did the _only _thing he could think to do in his current predicament: which was to spit lake water in her face, which temporarily delayed her revenge long enough for him to slip away. But once more, he underestimated just how _badly _Anko's retribution for his transgressions went.

And now, Naruto found himself running out of ideas, energy, and hope that he would get out of his current dilemma unscathed and alive.

* * *

><p>Our hero tumbled into a deserted training ground with three wooden posts in a far corner and rolled onto his back, panting heavily. His mind was racing and his heart felt like it was going to explode. Even when he pulled a prank off and had to escape the wrath of ANBU, ninja, <em>and <em>the rare athletic villager, he _never _had to exert himself this much.

He quickly jumped to his feet, which protested any more movement, and stumbled towards the wooden posts, hoping to hide; if only for a few moments.

But, it was not to pass.

He paled as he noticed a long shadow, and a familiar bloodlust overtake him from his position. He glanced behind him only to croak out one, solitary word:

"Crap."

"Oh crap, is right on the ryo kid." replied the voice of Anko, who was now stalking toward him as if he was a dead-man walking: which he was.

"I'm sorry I spit water in your face, and called you weak, and..." Naruto began in a panicked rush, only for Anko to shake her head and reply.

"Oh, no, no, no." she cackled derisively, as she closed the gap between them in a few steps.

"I'm _not _accepting anymore apologies from you."

Naruto gulped, and _knew _he was royally screwed when the Kyuubi added in his head:

"**Brat**," it said. "**For what it's worth: it was a pleasure watching you fight valiantly to the end. For a shrimp-sized meat-sack, you did your best. Truly**."

Naruto replied in the only way his denial-fueled mind could respond:

"Stop talking like it's _over_, you overgrown fleabag."

There was a brief pause in dialogue as Anko lifted Naruto up by his shirt collar to bring him eye to eye with her, and gave him a sinister grin before Kyuubi replied:

"**Oh, but it is brat. It most certainly is."**

Anko let out a laugh that would have made Lord Voldemort, Darth Sidious, and Madara Uchiha bow down in respect for her evilness. She narrowed her eyes and said in a wicked whisper:

"Any last words, brat?"

Naruto gave his most defiant glare and braced himself for the inevitable darkness that was death as he prepared his last action of his short, but wild life of six years.

"Yeah," he said with an equally devilish grin of his own.

"Bite me."

And spat in Anko's face once more, before he felt a blow to the top of his head, and everything went dark.

**AN:**** Thoughts? I have one: I'm _writing _this story, and I can't help but weep for Naruto sometimes...**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

When Naruto awoke, he noticed a few key things that bothered him greatly.

The first? He couldn't move. _That _was weird.

The second? His head hurt. In fact, that was downsizing the gravity of the sensation. His head _actually _felt like someone had taken a giant hammer and slammed it down on his crown.

And the third? When his blurry vision finally cleared, Naruto was greeted by a most unpleasant sight:

Anko Mitarashi stood before him, arms akimbo, with a satisfied, yet very sadistic smirk on her face.

"Welcome back to the world of the living brat!" she said with a hearty cackle.

Naruto rolled his eyes and averted his gaze from her, but Anko was having _none _of that. She gripped his jaw and yanked his face so he was facing her again and snarled:

"Listen here kiddo: I know that you don't want trained by me, nor do I want to train you. Frankly, you've got a crappy attitude, you're brash, and _if _you ever become a ninja, with your outlook and recklessness: you'll just end up on the K.I.A monument!"

Naruto had never felt so much animosity for anyone in his life than what he was feeling towards his mentor right now. Even the villagers (who were very low on his list) didn't irk him the way this woman did.

Anko released her grip from his face and sighed deeply with her eyes closed in thought, before continuing:

"Despite all that," she said in a much more subdued tone. "You've got _a lot _of potential. And as much as it hurts me, oh so very deep inside to say it,I _know _with the right training regime and discipline, I can turn you into something more than kunai fodder!"

Anko thought she gave a wonderful pep-talk. Apparently, she did not, because Naruto was glaring daggers at her.

"Was that supposed to make me feel better?" he asked sarcastically.

Anko tilted her head to the side in thought and replied:

"Well...did it?"

"No!"

"Oh," Anko said without a care in the world. "Well, sucks to be you huh?"

A soft ruffling of trees from a soft breeze filled the otherwise silent exchange of glares between the two.

Naruto continued to scowl for a few moments more before he sighed.

"Okay then, Anko-_sensei_," Naruto said scathingly. "What are you going to teach me then?"

Anko had to double-take at what Naruto had just referred to her as. Being who she was, she completely ignored the obvious disdain as he said it, but the brat had just called her 'Anko-sensei'.

And she decided: That this might not be so bad after all.

"I'll have to come up with some ideas," she explained dismissively. "For now, let's go get something to eat!"

For the first time since he woke up, Naruto gave a genuine smile.

"Hooray!" he cried. "Let's go get ramen, Anko-sensei!"

There was a poignant silence as they stared at one another. Naruto grinning excitedly from his tied-up position on his post, and Anko, who was completely devoid of expression, tried; and failed to understand what this kid was on about.

"You're kidding, right?" she deadpanned.

Naruto fervently shook his head.

"No! Let's get some ramen!"

Anko chuckled and shook her head in disbelief.

"No brat," she continued. "We're going to get dango."

"Umm," Naruto fired back, with a scowl slowly starting to form on his brow. "That stuff is gross. Ramen would be much better!"

Anko recoiled as if Naruto had just declared that Masashi Kishimoto would've been better off making his story from the point of view of Sasuke Uchiha.

'_I might have put too much strain on him during our chase' _she panicked mentally. _'He's showing serious signs of mental instability!'_

Taking a deep breath to steady herself after her revelation, she smiled kindly and pulled out a lone kunai, effectively wiping the grin from Naruto's face, who paled.

"Relax brat," she said consolingly as she approached him. "I'm just cutting you free!"

After freeing Naruto, who stretched and rubbed his body where he was bound, Anko tried once more to reason with the apparently shaken child.

"Okay," she began genially. "Now that you're free, let's book it to Dangoya!"

She began to trek off triumphantly, and it wasn't until she reached the edge of the training ground that she realized her young student had not moved an inch.

With a quick shunshin, she appeared before him and towered over him with a glare.

"Come on brat," she growled. "I'm starving! Move it!"

Naruto crossed his arms defiantly and glared back at her.

"No!" he pouted. "I wanna get ramen! What's so great about stupid dango anyways!?"

Anko closed her eyes and counted to three. When she opened them, she sighed and placed a soothing hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Listen," she said in a very calming tone. "Dango is the force that surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the universe together!"

Anko's explanation only served to cause Naruto glare even harder at her.

"I. Want. Ramen." he declared.

Anko blinked and removed her hand from him in shock. She closed her eyes and tried to be reasonable with herself.

'_Strong I am with the dango...But: not that strong.'_

Naruto took her silence as a cue that he had won the argument.

"So, Ichiraku's it is! Let's go, Anko-sensei! I'll lead the way!"

Naruto practically flew to the edge of the training ground, only to find that his sensei had not moved from her position this time. He slowly walked back towards her and waved a hand in her face to get her attention.

"Come on, Anko-sensei!"

He was rewarded with being wrapped up in ropes faster than he could say 'Believe it!' And dragged unceremoniously by his teacher towards Dangoya.

As he was paraded through the streets of Konoha, Naruto had one thought in his mind:

_'She may have won the fight; but she will not win the war!'_

* * *

><p>Naruto idly stirred his miso soup as he sat in a booth with his teacher at her favorite restaurant: Dangoya. Part of the reason he was reluctant to eat anywhere but Ichiraku's was made when the owner of the dango shop tried to refuse him entrance as Anko dragged him in. To his surprise however, Anko had threatened the owner by stating that she would no longer eat at his establishment if he refused her student entry. That really touched him. No one had ever stood up for him like that in front of the villagers before. Not that he was going to tell his snake-obsessed sensei that though.<p>

The other part of the reason he didn't want to eat anywhere but Ichiraku's was simply because he _really _liked ramen.

Anko noticed her student's melancholy, but reasoned that he was just bitter that she had won the battle over where they would eat. After a while however, his silence started t grate on her nerves, and she finally _had _to say something.

"So brat," she began in an attempt to eliminate the awkward silence between them. "Tell me about yourself."

Naruto blinked up at her in confusion. Anko sighed and rephrased her question.

"You know," she continued. "What do you like to do? Anything you hate? What do you want to do with your life, and stuff like that?"

Naruto put down his spoon and thought hard for a moment.

"Well, I like pranks and _ramen_," he began with a glare at Anko who rolled her eyes. "Umm, I hate the way the villagers treat and look at me. Even though I..."

"**Careful brat**," came the rumbling voice of the Kyuubi from deep inside Naruto's mind. "**You don't know if you can tell her that you know about me yet**!"

Naruto scowled and continued on, although Anko more than caught his obvious slip up. She decided that she'd file that observation for later review.

"I'm not sure what I want to do with my life. Maybe figure out how to get rid of my 'shadow' and become a really strong ninja?"

Anko nodded and took another bite of her dango. She felt somewhat bad that a kid of only six had to shoulder such hatred from the very village he protects everyday just by being alive, but she wasn't one to act all sappy about it.

"Well, I can help you with your dreams for now," she replied casually, before fixing him with a stern glance. "But my training _will _be tough. I do not tolerate complaining, quitting, or laziness. If I tell you to jump, you'll ask: with chakra, or no? If I tell you to do anything: you'll do it with a smile, got it?"

Naruto nodded quickly and Anko smiled. However, she leaned in toward him and hissed:

"And I'm telling you right now brat," she added dangerously. "I _will _demand respect. So if you ever even think of spitting in my face again, I'll make you sorry!"

Naruto paled and nodded even harder.

Satisfied, Anko began to explain to him what she had in mind for his training, and then dismissed him to get some rest, for tomorrow was going to be the beginning of what she affectionately dubbed: 'Hell Week'.

* * *

><p>When Naruto finally dragged himself back to his apartment, he was surprised to see Neko-san perched on the roof, who waved at him. He smiled and waved back and ran up his stairs to meet her.<p>

She leapt down with the grace of a cat, which Naruto found funnily ironic, and landed in front of him.

"So, rumor has it that you spat in Mitarashi-san's face...again." Neko said with amusement in her tone.

Naruto grinned and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah," he said slowly. "She nearly killed me...again!"

Neko chuckled at his response and wished him goodnight, leaping back to her perch on his rooftop.

Smiling to himself, Naruto opened up the door to his apartment ready to take a long, relaxing shower and pass out in his bed.

What he wasn't ready for however, was for someone to quickly place their hand over his mouth, preventing him from yelling out, as soon as he closed the door. He tried to struggle, only to be swiftly subdued. He turned his head frantically to try and see the face of his attacker, only to deadpan when he realized _who _it was.

Anko smiled deviously at her young charge as he struggled fruitlessly against her hold. When she finally let go, she chuckled as Naruto stumbled away from her and braced himself on the wall of his apartment.

"WHAT THE HELL, ANKO-SENSEI!?" Naruto bellowed in outrage.

Anko doubled over in laughter at the expression on his face. When she finally regained control of her breathing she turned to address him...

Only to start laughing hysterically again.

"Oh, brat!" Anko wheezed. "You should've seen your face! PRICELESS!"

Naruto crossed his arms and glared, although on the inside his heart was beating about one-hundred miles a second.

"Seriously!" Naruto complained. "Why would you do that? For a moment there, I thought that you were..."

"...Your 'shadow'?" Anko finished in a deadly serious tone.

Naruto paled at the mention of his mysterious hunter and took a few steps back warily from his sensei.

Anko rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips in exasperation.

"Seriously brat: I'm not my shadow-double," Anko scoffed. "If I _was,_ we wouldn't be having this conversation right now!"

Naruto still continued to watch Anko distrustfully.

Anko smiled and nodded her head in approval.

"Good," she said with satisfaction. "You've passed your first real lesson. _Always_ be on your guard, even when you think you're safe. That's the second most important rule of being a ninja-in-training of the great Anko Mitarashi!"

Naruto was vaguely reminded of a certain nine-tailed fox that addressed itself in a similar way as his sensei. Eventually, curiosity got the better of him and he asked:

"What's the first rule, then?"

Anko grinned.

"Now, that would be telling, wouldn't it, brat?"

Naruto frowned. Of course his sensei wouldn't tell him.

Anko strode towards the door of Naruto's apartment, and before leaving turned her head around to address him once more.

"Oh, and I've made a change of location as to where I want you to meet me tomorrow morning!" She said happily.

Naruto's frown furthered.

"Where's that?"

Anko smiled sadistically, sending shivers down Naruto's spine.

"You'll be meeting me at 0500 hours at Training Ground #44. Don't be late, or I'll come get you; and you don't want that, brat!"

No. He most _certainly _didn't.

* * *

><p>As Naruto lay in bed he tried to think of where Training Ground #44 was. He had gone to at least all of the training grounds in the village, so perhaps this one was outside the village walls?<p>

He turned over in his sheets and turned out his light on his bed-stand table.

"I'll just ask Neko-san in the morning, I guess..."

* * *

><p>Unbeknownst to our young hero, the very person who he meant to ask had heard the entire conversation between the boy and his teacher earlier and was sweating bullets for him.<p>

"Oh, Naruto-san," she whispered with thinly veiled terror. "I hope for your sake, you come back tomorrow in one piece and alive..."

**AN:**** As always, I love to hear what you guys think! So fire your thoughts down below! Also, the pairing for Naruto is still up and running, although I'm getting close to deciding! So if you've got a great idea for one, let me know!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

When Naruto woke up, he sprang out of his bed in excitement. He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't press down his growing feeling of jubilation of finally beginning his path to become a ninja. He grinned for a moment in triumph, and then felt as his face promptly fell, as he realized that he had a pressing matter to contend with.

His sensei: the crazed snake mistress: Anko Mitarashi.

He wasn't sure that he wanted her to train him. Not to say that she wasn't competent; she had made that point clear yesterday as she chased him through the village for a second time. It was her disposition most of the time that concerned him. She could be nice and helpful one moment, and then itching to feed him to her snakes the next. The change in polarity between her moods, seriously unnerved him.

Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his unruly hair as he made his way to his bathroom to take a quick shower.

He let the warm water run down his face and body as he tried once more to discern where Training Ground #44 was. It really didn't ring a bell with him, and that was saying something. After his talk with his sensei last night he figured that it _was _outside the village walls. He trusted that his sensei wouldn't take him somewhere crazy like her right?

Naruto had no idea just how _wrong _he was.

* * *

><p>It took Naruto a good ten minutes to wrest the information on the location of the elusive Training Ground #44 out of his protector Neko when he left his apartment and made to speak with the cat-masked ANBU. She seemed uneasy, frightened even of talking about the place, and it made Naruto fill with half excitement, half terror. He bid Neko goodbye and made his way to the outskirts of the village, thankful that he stocked up on ramen the night before, so he at least had a full belly for whatever his sensei was going to throw at him.<p>

When he made it to the outskirts of the village, he headed towards the east gate, where a chuunin seemed completely unwilling to let him out of the village, regardless of what Naruto told him.

"Look kid," the exasperated chuunin said. "There's _no _way I'm letting you just walk out of the village without any kind of authorization!"

Naruto scowled.

"No you listen!" he argued. "My sensei told me that I need to meet her at Training Ground #44!"

The name of the place made the chuunin's face pale.

"Kid," he said slowly, with a hint of trepidation. "Are you sure that someone's not playing a trick on you? I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of you, I'll be honest. But even I wouldn't wish for someone like you to go there!"

That confused Naruto. He didn't care so much that the gate guard didn't like him, being hated in the village was an everyday occurrence to him. The thing that unnerved Naruto was the fact that this random guy seemed slightly concerned about where he was going. It forced him to contemplate whether or not he was walking into a trap, or something more devious.

"Listen," added Naruto with a slight amount of panic. "I've got to go. My sensei is going to kill me if I don't show up on time!"

The chuunin glanced down the road leading out of the village for a moment before he returned his gaze on Naruto and asked:

"Who's your sensei kid?"

"Anko Mitarashi."

_That _made the chuunin pale even more. He staggered back a step and braced himself on the walls of the village and fixed him with a wary look.

"Okay," he stammered. "Now I _know _that you're telling the truth. Mitarashi is the only person in this village who would even have the audacity to go into that place!"

Naruto nodded,, happy to hear that the chuunin seemed to be cottoning on to what he was talking about.

The chuunin scribbled down a few things on a clipboard and then waved Naruto through, after giving him directions to his desired destination. With a quick wave of farewell to the chuunin guard, he sprinted out into the heavy foliage surrounding the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

* * *

><p>When Naruto arrived at Training Ground #44 he scowled, and seriously considered if his sensei was playing a funny joke, or if she was <em>really <em>a crazy lunatic.

"You've got to be kidding me..." he grumbled as he looked upon the ludicrous area.

A large metallic fence at least twenty feet tall encircled the entirety of the training ground, which seemed to be a dark forest with overgrown trees. And that wasn't even what had Naruto sweating bullets. Naruto Uzumaki, contrary to popular belief, was _not _an idiot. He quickly deduced that the fence surrounding the training ground could only be there for one of two reasons, or possibly both,

The fence was either to keep people from venturing in to the forest, _or _it was erected to keep whatever was inside of it, just that: inside.

The distant roars and strange noises didn't help to dispel the credibility of Naruto's deduction.

He turned around and glared in the direction of the village where he had come.

"No wonder that guard was freaking out," Naruto muttered. "This place looks like Jurassic Park."

"Well! Look who's here: my favorite pupil!" Exclaimed a cheery voice from somewhere above him. Naruto glanced up to see his sensei, Anko, standing atop the rail of the metal fence, arms crossed, grinning at him. She flipped down to the ground to land in front of him.

"Seriously brat," she said in a slightly more serious tone. "I thought you weren't going to show up!"

Naruto growled lowly in his throat before replying with a snort:

"Whatever. This place doesn't seem so bad!"

If anything, his bold proclamation only served to make Anko grin more sinisterly.

"Oh ho," she purred. "Look at the set on this one!"

She circled Naruto as if inspecting him for any doubt.

"Let's see if you talk so big when you're inside, huh?"

Naruto's pointed glare told Anko that he was more than ready to prove that he wasn't scared, even if on the inside his survival instinct was calling him an idiot and screaming for him to turn tail and run for his pitiful life.

"Let's go, then: _sensei_."

Naruto spat the last word out like it was a vegetable that Old Man Ichiraku tried to sneak into his ramen.

Anko grinned and patted Naruto on the head, at which he gave an annoyed growl of protest at.

"Don;t say I didn't warn you, brat," Anko said as she led the way towards a large gate on the fence. Naruto couldn't see it, but she now had a sadistic grin on her face.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

* * *

><p>If Naruto thought the forest looked suspect from the outside, he had nothing to describe what it was like on the <em>inside. <em>

It was like a super Jurassic Park. He nearly screamed in fright when he noticed a larger than life centipede skitter past him on the trunk of the tree he and Anko stood upon about thirty yards into the forest. The light was meager through the thick canopy of the treetops, and eerie sounds did little to dissipate his unease at being in the creepy place. Anko seemed to take vindictive pleasure in seeing the boy squirm. After all, he was talking a lot of big talk about not being afraid just a few minutes ago, and now he was shaking like a leaf every time something moved.

Having enough fun, she turned to face the white-faced boy.

"Listen up brat!" she commanded. Naruto turned to face her apprehensively. "For your first bit of training, we're going to play a little game..."

Naruto,. Despite his fear, couldn't resist a snort that came out.

"What?" he asked. "What are we going to play: a rousing game of checkers amongst the nice ambiance of the giant centipede and monsters?"

Anko laughed, though it had no humor behind it, and continued:

"No, although that does sound fun," she chided. "We're going to play a game of hide-and-seek."

Naruto deadpanned at her.

"You're serious?" he stated blankly. Anko grinned and nodded.

"Yep!" she replied cheerfully. "As serious as a Root operative, brat!"

Naruto sighed.

"How does hide and seek help me in my ninja training?"

Anko regarded Naruto as if he had just asked why she like dango so much...again.

"Brat, hide and seek has _everything _to do with ninja! It's practically made for us!"

Naruto acquiesced and nodded glumly. Anko elaborated:

"It will help you with stealth and evasion skills, two things that are indispensable among ninja. If you can't be sensed or seen, _or _heard: your missions will go a lot more smoothly. If you can evade an enemy, your chances of dying pathetically are increased as well. You get it?"

Naruto nodded that he understood and Anko nodded in satisfaction.

"Okay, so the rules," Anko began. "The whole forest is fair game. Except the western most quadrant. I've set up seals to make sure you don't go there."

That piqued Naruto's curiosity and he asked the obvious:

"Why can't we go there?"

Anko glanced in a seemingly random direction that Naruto ascertained to be westward, before she turned back to him with a slight scowl.

"That's where the worst beasts live," she explained casually. "Unless you really want to get eaten, I suggest you just don't wander off that way Goldilocks."

Naruto scowled at the nickname, but nodded that he understood her reasoning.

"Anyway," Anko continued. "You'll have two hours to seek me out and pinpoint my _exact _location. Afterwards, you have to evade me for thirty minutes, as I try and catch you..."

Despite himself, Naruto grinned.

"Oh, that'll be easy sensei!"

Anko glared at him and shook her head.

"Kid," she sighed, with her eyes closed. "Every chase you've led me on so far will have nothing on this one. I'm a fully-fledged ninja and you're just a brat with no training. I'll admit that you're fairly good at misdirection, but I haven't even gone full out chasing you! If I would have in the past, you would've been caught by me in a matter of seconds!"

Naruto frowned and crossed his arms in defiance.

"Oh yeah?" he sneered. "Then why didn't you just go full out in the first place, instead of letting me lead you through the village like that!?"

Anko chuckled at his indignant expression.

"Because it's more fun to let your prey think it has a chance of escaping!"

Naruto groaned, while Anko let out a hearty laugh.

"Okay," Anko said at last. "Enough. Let's get this show on the road. You are to give me five minutes to hide, and here you go,"

Anko tossed a lone kunai at Naruto's feet. He looked at it and gingerly picked it up, examining it.

"What's this for?" Naruto asked curiously. Anko raised an eyebrow.

"Did you seriously think I'd let you wander around this place without a weapon?"

When Naruto only gave her a: 'what do you think?' look, Anko sighed dejectedly.

"Well, I wouldn't." She finished with a snort. "As much of a brat as you are, I'd rather not have to take your remains back to the Hokage and have him ream me out just because I got careless."

Naruto blanched and gripped the kunai given to him tighter in his grasp.

"Alright, kid," Anko announced. "This is your initiation test. Pass, and we'll move on to the next phase of your training. If you _don't _pass..."

She grinned sadistically.

"I'm sure one of the creatures in here, will _pass _you eventually!"

Naruto groaned at the bad pun, and readied himself. Anko smiled and vanished in a shunshin. But, not before adding one last comment.

"Find me quickly Naruto-kun," she teased from seemingly everywhere and nowhere. "That's when the real fun begins!"

* * *

><p>Naruto couldn't help but shiver slightly at her words. He heard a slight growling sensation in his head, and knew it was his tenant's attempt to make conversation now that Anko was gone.<p>

"Hey Kyuubi, what do you think my odds are of passing?" Naruto asked the fox. There was a small chuckle that erupted into full blown laughter from the demon fox that served to unbalance Naruto slightly.

"What, you stupid fox?!" Naruto growled in irritation.

The Kyuubi seemed to calm itself slightly before it replied in a chuckle.

"**Oh meat-sack**," it purred in amusement. "**You have **_**no **_**idea how long I've wanted someone to set me up to say this...**"

Curiosity getting the better of him, Naruto asked:

"Set up to say what, exactly?"

The Kyuubi erupted into laughter again and bellowed:

"**YOU SHALL NOT PASS!**"

Naruto face-palmed and groaned out loud.

"Everyone's a damn critic!"

And with that, he began to count down the seconds until he was to venture off into this dismal place to find his insane teacher. The though did not make him happy. Not happy at all.

**AN: Oh dear, Kurama thinks he's a LoTR character apparently. And how will Naruto fare searching for his lovable lunatic of a sensei? You'll have to tune in next time to find out! Remember to review and let me know what you think ya'll! Till next time, Afroman007 out!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

Naruto decided that if he survived his mad sensei's test, he was going to learn the most powerful katon jutsu ever created and torch this forest, along with all of the stupid giant insects, tigers, and spiders in it.

He narrowly dodged the mandibles of a giant arachnid, and stabbed it in its' head, panting heavily as he did so. The spider screeched in agony as it staggered around in pain before falling completely still.

"I _hate _this stupid forest!" Naruto bellowed in outrage.

The boy was covered in insect blood, had tears and gashes throughout his clothing, and a nice set of scratches and bruises on his body in various places. He was covered in sweat, and his above-average stamina was beginning to wane.

He trudged through the undergrowth of the overgrown forest in a trance of anger. What was Anko-sensei thinking, having their training here? Was she really trying to off him in the most horrible way possible? He knew not to bring up these points to her however. One of his deranged sensei's rules was: no complaining, _ever. _

That didn't stop him from cursing her with a plethora of colorful swear words under his breath as he continued walking.

Every time he heard a slight rustle nearby, or glimpsed a shadow, he tensed, ready to spring into action. His nerves were shot, and he had been this way for the past hour and a half. With only thirty minutes left, he was beginning to think he would never find his sensei. He would fail her test, and Kami only knew what would become of him after that. Best case scenario: she simply told the Old Man that he was a hopeless case, and wasn't ready to be trained. Worst case scenario: She fed him to one of her snakes and called it a day. Either way, both outcomes weren't something he wanted to see.

* * *

><p>As he continued his sojourn through the dark woods, he stumbled upon a large clearing that was bathed in light, due to the absence of trees. He quickly ran into it, and gawked at the sight before him.<p>

A tower dominated the landscape before him. It reached at least five stories into the air, and Naruto wanted to kick himself for not noticing it before. Then again: how could he have noticed? From the ground of the forest, he could only see a few feet in front of him due to all of the overgrowth of bushes, brambles and small shrubs. Not to mention all of the friendly creatures that wanted to eat him as a midday snack!

As he cautiously approached the tower and made his way to a large entrance at its front, he saw a sight that made his insides seethe with rage.

His sensei, Anko was laying on a lawn chair, cheerfully drinking sake and reading a book!

Naruto felt his eyebrow twitch violently and his whole body began to tremble. The nerve of this woman! He had just spent the last hour and a half trekking through this anti-Eden of death only to find her sitting in the lap of luxury! At least, at seemed luxurious for this place.

He stomped over until he was right in front of the chair, and with strength he didn't know he had, flipped the whole thing over: sensei and all.

Anko was not a fully-fledged ninja for nothing however. She deftly caught both her book in her right hand, and her saucer of sake in the other with a cheerful grin, and landed on both feet gracefully.

"Well, well," she said in an all-too-cheerful tone. "Look who finally made it!"

Naruto felt his face flush with indignant anger.

"Shut the hell up!" He bellowed as he balled his hands in quavering fists. "I can't believe you made me go through all of that crap to find you, and you were here the whole time reading!"

Anko pouted and took a small sip from her saucer, smacking her lips in satisfaction.

"I wasn't reading the _whole _time, brat," she stated casually. "There was setting up the chair, procuring sake from the tower, and all that, you know..."

Naruto deadpanned at her.

"I seriously hate you sensei." He droned.

Anko simply grinned at him as she stretched.

"Well, that's too bad for you," she replied, and then her expression darkened.

"But, you found me so," she grinned devilishly as withdrew a handful of kunai and shuriken.

"Now _you _get to hide, and _I _get to seek!"

* * *

><p>Naruto retracted his earlier statement mentally as he bolted through the underbrush of the 44th Training Ground. Not only would he learn the most powerful katon jutsu in existence to torch the forest and all the predators in it, but he now included Anko on that merry list.<p>

She was tenacious, and found him way too easily. Every time he thought he was safe, she struck like a lightning bolt out of nowhere, making him scramble to keep himself in one piece and alive. She tossed kunai at him, shredding his already damaged clothing, hurled shuriken, which he barely dodged, and sent her snake friends after him. That was the part he hated most.

Ever stopped in the middle of a life-or-death chase to take a wizz to find a large snake hissing at you? No? Naruto has. It took him another ten minutes just to get his fly up as he continued dodging his sensei's onslaught, while she laughed manically.

Naruto really regretted finding Anko within her time limit. He almost wished that he'd failed her test, so he could just go back to the Old Man in shame! But that wasn't part of who he was. He couldn't just give up; what would that say about him?

Our hero dodged yet again as Anko tossed another volley of kunai at him, and faintly heard them hit their target in the form of a tree trunk, where he was standing no less than three seconds ago.

"Where is she getting all of these kunai and shuriken from!?" Naruto screamed to no one in particular as he dove behind another tree. He caught his breath, only to move again as a snake appeared on the other end of the tree trunk, hissing mockingly at him. He cursed and leapt away, running once more through the labyrinth of trees.

His tenant, was no help whatsoever.

"**You should probably hang it up meat-sack**," he would chide as Naruto scrambled about, in a panic. "**She's going to get you: wouldn't you rather go down easily?**"

_'Shut the hell up, fox!' _Naruto screamed mentally, as he ducked underneath a thick branch, pulled on it, and sent it flying back into the face of yet another attacking snake.

"Oh, nice one brat!" Anko cheered as she leapt from tree branch to tree branch above him in leisurely pursuit. "Use the terrain to your advantage!"

Naruto growled, but didn't dare look at her. He knew that one misstep in this death trap was an instant game over. He stumbled through a thicket of bushes and emerged, only to plunge head first into a quick moving stream.

"For crying out loud!" Naruto bellowed as his head broke the surface of the water. He glanced over at the shore line, where he saw his sensei and a few of her snake summons watching him in glee. Well, Anko was, at least. Can snakes even smile?

"That ought to cool your head off, brat!" Anko wailed in delight.

Naruto scowled and waded to the other side of the stream, and pulled himself onto the shore with a heavy lurch. He shook his hair to get the water out and glared down at his waterlogged clothes. There was no way he'd be able to run weighed down like this. Exhaling sharply, he turned to face his sensei to hesitantly tell her he would have to give up only to hear:

"Time's up! You pass brat!"

* * *

><p>Naruto blinked in surprise. He had done it! He leapt around in joy for a few moments before his anger and exhaustion at the situation caught up to him, and he wheeled around to scowl at his teacher.<p>

"WHY IN THE WORLD DID YOU PICK HERE OF ALL PLACES TO TRAIN!?" Naruto bellowed.

Anko cleaned out her ear and sighed. She strode over to him, walking on top of the water and dismissed her snake summons.

"Listen brat," Anko said unsympathetically. "My sensei taught me here, and a bunch of other really dangerous places."

She fixed him with a stern look, which made Naruto's rage begin to vanish.

"Do you think I wanted to train there? Hell no! In fact, no matter how much I cried, complained, or outright _begged _him to train me like a normal genin he refused! Know why?"

Naruto shook his head slowly. Anko blew out a long sigh and looked up at the blue sky above.

"He told me that a ninja doesn't have the luxury of being safe 99% of the time."

Naruto's brow furrowed as he digested that, and then a thought struck him.

"What about the other 1% of the time then?"

Anko fixed him with such an intense glare Naruto almost regretted asking. Almost.

"That one other time brat is when you're on your way to see Kami, or the Shinigami."

Naruto paled and gulped.

Anko nodded emphatically.

"I see you understand," she said solemnly. She returned her gaze to the sky as she ran a hand through her pineapple-styled violet hair.

"You're going to need to learn that you're never really safe. I mean; look at you! You were attacked inside the village itself! How can you expect to train if there isn't an element of danger constantly? Ninja don't get the comfort of simulated training in combat: ever."

Naruto nodded and regarded his sensei in a kind of dazed awe. When Anko wasn't spouting her crazy talk, she could actually be pretty smart!

Anko noticed the far away look on here student's face and smacked him upside the head, making him shout in protest.

"Enough daydreaming kid," she admonished. "Let's get back to the village so I can give the Hokage the results of your first mission. Then, we can go get something to eat before afternoon training."

Naruto sweat-dropped. There was more!?

Anko rolled her eyes at his shocked look.

"You didn't _really _think that this was all you'd be doing today!"

From the stunned look of confusion upon the boy's face, he did in fact, think just that.

Anko groaned and began to walk away.

"Let's go brat. People to see, dango to eat!"

Naruto sighed and kicked at stick on the ground. Anko stopped walking but didn't turn around as she added:

"Unless, you'd rather stay here in the forest?"

Naruto blinked at her, and then hear the ominous growling of something not too far away from his current position, and gulped.

"I'm coming sensei! Wait up!"

* * *

><p>Anko chuckled to herself as she made her way through the forest with her student in tow.<p>

"Who would've thought the old: Never safe anytime method would've worked in this situation?"

She glanced back at her stumbling and complaining student and laughed.

"Oh, well," she sighed. "I'll make him into the best he can be one way or another!"

**AN:**** I'd like to once again thank everyone who has reviewed and followed this story. I'm getting close to the Academy days, and once there the story will go into a part two continuation, so stay tuned!**


	18. Chapter 18

**AN:**** Hello readers! A much loner chapter for those of you who have asked for me to do so! Secondly, I'm down to the final three girls to pair Naruto with! As always review and let me know what you're thinking! Enjoy the chapter!**

**Chapter 18:**

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Third Hokage of Konohagakure, also known as 'The Professor', and the survivor of three shinobi wars, could only shake his head despondently at the sight before his eyes.

As he sat at his desk, puffing on his pipe, he was witness yet again to what had become a common occurrence throughout the village: Anko Mitarashi: the Snake Mistress, and the only apprentice of his own student-turned-traitor, Orochimaru of the Sannin, and Naruto Uzumaki: the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, and heir of the Uzumaki Clan, (not that the boy knew, of course) locked in a heated argument.

"I told you sensei," Naruto spat with a scowl. "Ramen just goes better with everything!"

Anko stuck her tongue out in a gesture of disgust.

"I just can't stand the texture and the broth!" She argued back, crossing her arms. "Besides: it's not healthy for you! If that's all you eat, no wonder you're so short, brat!"

Naruto's nostrils flared in outrage.

"That was low, sensei!" He snarled. "Take it back!"

Anko's eyebrow twitched and she rounded on her student.

"The only thing low here is your height measurement!"

Sarutobi sighed as he took out his pipe and packed it, trying his best to block out the meaningless argument. It had been like this for the past year.

He glanced up at Naruto as he lit his pipe, and couldn't repress a proud smirk as he observed the soon to be seven-year-old boy.

Naruto (contrary to what Anko said) had actually grown about two inches, and his once wiry frame was beginning to show signs of filling out, thanks to the training he'd been put through, no doubt. He wore an orange v-neck shirt, with a black vest over it. His arms were taped with white bandages that began from his elbow all the way down to his hands, which were covered in black ANBU-style gloves. He wore black cargo pants and black ninja sandals. The one thing physically that did not change was his golden sun-kissed locks and his bright, cerulean eyes.

Anko, on the other hand almost looked like she always did. She wore her signature tan trench-coat with her full-body mesh suit underneath, with an orange mini-skirt and sandals. Her hitai-ate was proudly displayed on her fore head. The only major difference in Anko's appearance was her hair, which was no longer in its' pine-apple style. Instead, Anko had opted to wear her hair in a ponytail, with her bangs hanging the same as they always did, blocking part of her forehead protector.

They both had grown tremendously over the course of the year since Sarutobi had assigned Anko to teach the wayward Uzumaki.

For Naruto: he was now at least mid-genin level in terms of overall skills. He could do the tree-walking exercise, and Anko had him starting on water-walking, which he was having some issues with. He had mastered two of the three Academy-required jutsu being: the Kawarimi, or Replacement, the Henge, or Transformation, and was currently struggling to get down the last one, the Bunshin: also known as the Clone technique.

Thanks to Anko's training, his already impressive stealth skill had gone up, and his taijutsu was coming along nicely, although Naruto still preferred a brawler-style of combat. The boy's marksmanship was also quite high, but what do you expect when your sensei is none other than Anko Mitarashi?

Personality wise, Naruto had pretty much remained the same, although he did inherit a few of Anko's tendencies. This is what Sarutobi hoped he could avoid, but to no avail.

Naruto now had a flair for making an entrance, stealth and ninja rule book etiquette be damned. He was working on what he called: 'The Rolling Ball of Awesome Entrance, which, when finished, would be a nod at the way his sensei liked to enter places. He also inherited her sadistic side, if only slightly. Piss the boy off, and you were asking for bad things to happen to you. The boy definitely received Anko's vindictiveness.

Anko, on the other hand, was a different matter. Although the woman would _never _say it aloud, she was incredibly attached and fond of her young student, although she acted very indifferently toward him. When Anko was sent on missions, Sarutobi couldn't help but chuckle at the number of messenger hawks sent to him by the Snake Mistress inquiring about the welfare of her student. It did Sarutobi's old heart good to see that the wound left in Anko's heart by his traitorous student Orochimaru, was slowly beginning to close, all thanks to the introduction of a boy who needed someone to lean on, as much as Anko did.

All of these heartwarming things did _not _change the fact that Sarutobi was losing his patience at the meaningless conversation.

"ENOUGH!" He commanded, shutting the two up at once, as they turned to look at him warily.

Sarutobi exhaled a plume of smoke as he regarded the two of them with a tired glance.

"Anko-chan," he said kindly, but with a hint of impatience. "You have yet to answer my previous question: is Naruto-kun ready to enroll in the academy or not?"

Anko had a brief flash of irritation run across her face, as if she was offended by the question. She glanced down at Naruto, who was watching her expectantly, and smirked as she returned her gaze on her wizened old leader.

"He sure is, Old Man!" Anko cheered.

Sarutobi sighed. Anko had picked up the habit of calling him 'Old Man' like Naruto did. Not that he minded particularly, Anko had enough sense to address him properly when other ninja were around and she _was _sort of a surrogate granddaughter to him in a way.

He glanced at Naruto, who looked like he was going to explode in happiness. The sight brought a smile to his face.

"What say you, Naruto-kun?" Sarutobi asked genially. "Are you ready to enter the Academy?"

Naruto gave him a look like: 'Are you joking?'

"Of course, I am!" Naruto replied with a grin. "I'll knock the Academy right on its' butt!"

Anko laughed and swatted Naruto on the head lightly, causing him to scowl up at her with annoyance. Sarutobi chuckled and inhaled a drag of smoke, before blowing it out again.

"That's good," he replied with a nod. His face grew solemn. "Also, are you sure you have seen nothing from your 'shadow' in the past few weeks now? No sightings or encounters?"

Naruto nodded with a serious expression on his face. Sarutobi frowned. Ever since Naruto had first told Sarutobi about his mysterious hunter, he had been on high alert. At first, he was ready to dismiss Naruto's claims of being tailed as paranoia from having to deal with the harsh treatment he received from the villagers, but soon retracted that though when he was confronted by Anko-chan's mysterious 'shadow-double', which appeared to be a by-product of the original figure currently pursuing Naruto. From that point on, he vowed to take the matter seriously.

The strange thing was, for the past month, Naruto had reported that he had not seen or felt his pursuer at all. Sarutobi was not the survivor of three ninja wars for nothing however. His experience and instincts were telling him something big was stirring, and he wanted Naruto to be on high alert.

"Very well, then," he sighed as he took a deep breath. "I want you to stay vigilant Naruto-kun."

Naruto nodded that he understood Sarutobi's command.

"Also," Sarutobi continued. "You will begin attending the academy in one week's time. That will mean that in the mornings and afternoon's you will not train with Anko-chan, but I still want her to teach you on your off days and after classes. It is important that you keep up with her training."

Naruto's grin faltered a bit as he glanced at his sensei, who grinned victoriously down at him. She slapped him on the back.

"Hear that, kiddo?" she chirped happily. "You and I still get to spend some quality time together!"

Naruto's face paled and he averted his gaze from his sensei. Anko turned to look at Sarutobi and asked:

"I suppose you'll want me back at T&I while the brat's busy learning how to play ninja, then?"

Naruto scowled at her, but Anko just ignored him. Sarutobi nodded.

"Yes, Ibiki could use your help," Sarutobi explained. "Besides, I wouldn't want you to become bored and cause destruction throughout the village for entertainment..."

Anko's brow furrowed and she adopted a pouty expression.

"Jeez," she huffed. "You're still on about that, Old Man? It was only _one _time!"

Naruto chuckled.

"People don't forget, sensei!" He added. Anko glared at him.

"Fine," Anko sighed. "Besides, I miss hearing the screams of those poor fools down at the base anyways!"

Sarutobi and Naruto both paled slightly at the glee in which Anko said that last part. Quickly regaining his composure as leader of the Hidden Leaf, Sarutobi coughed slightly and nodded.

"Very well then," he stated. "You two are dismissed!"

* * *

><p>Naruto and Anko made their way through the crowded streets of the village, pointedly ignoring the looks of mistrust and scorn from the majority of the population. Some people however, exchanged a brief smile and nod at them as they passed. Both of their reputations had moved up a notch as a small percentage of the populace began to see the two of them for what they were: loyal members of the village, and for the most part, normal human beings. Naruto and Anko were grateful to these individuals, and made a point to smile and wave at them as they passed.<p>

"I want to get ramen!" Naruto declared.

Anko sighed and rolled her eyes.

"You _always _want ramen," Anko complained.

"Yeah," Naruto rebutted quickly. "And you _always _want to get dango! So don't be a hippo...crate!"

Anko chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair, which made him pout in irritation.

"Good for you for _trying_ to use big words kiddo," she teased. "But, I believe the word you're looking for is: Hypocrite."

Naruto scowled at her.

"That's what I just said!" He retorted.

Anko just chuckled again as they continued their trek.

"Really?" Anko questioned with a cocked eyebrow. "Then spell it, brat!"

Naruto returned his sensei's haughty look with one of challenge before did as he was asked. He squinted his eyes, making him look fox-like with the addition of his whisker marks, and Anko had to resist the urge to squeal.

"H-i-p-p..." Naruto began, but was abruptly silenced when Anko made a sound like a game show buzzer going off.

"Wrong, kiddo!" She said, poking her tongue out at him. "Guess we're going to have to up the amount of reading you do each night!"

Naruto hung his head dejectedly and groaned.

When Anko had taken Naruto on as her student she discovered that even though the boy was uncommonly bright for his age, he was as dull as a rusty kunai in the book smarts division. This simply would not do if he was to enter the Academy, where book smarts (sadly) were valued just as high, if not higher, than practical ninja skills the first two years. So, in order to fix that handicap, Anko had taken it upon herself to make the boy study and read up on everything from mathematics to the history of the Elemental Countries. Naruto had come a long way from not being able to make heads or tails of what he was reading to becoming quite adept in his book knowledge, however; he still had a ways to go before Anko would be satisfied at his progress.

* * *

><p>The two of them entered into Yakiniku Q, a popular barbecue restaurant in Konoha. Seeing that the two of them argued constantly on whether or not to get ramen or dango for lunch, Anko had long decided that this place served as a compromise for both of them, since it served both. Secretly, Anko hated the dango here, as she knew Naruto was more fond of Ichiraku's ramen than Yakiniki Q's, but hey: you can't always get what you want.<p>

The employees of the restaurant had learned the hard way not to mess with Naruto when he came with his sensei to eat there. The first time they had tried to give him trouble about entering, Anko had not so subtly threatened every last one of them with a personal session with her at the T&I Headquarters for discrimination of an innocent civilian child. It also helped that she summoned a few of her snakes to drive the point home that Naruto would be treated fairly when he came to eat.

With this precedent set, a nervous waitress escorted them to a booth and gave them menus. As she left however, she sent a scowl at Naruto when Anko was looking over the menu. She froze as she heard Anko's voice however.

"Watch it missy," Anko said in a warning tone. "I wouldn't want you to get in any trouble..."

The waitress paled and quickly ran off to see to her other customers. Anko peered at Naruto to gauge his reaction to the woman. The boy was looking at his menu indifferently, but didn't seem bothered in the least at his treatment by the woman. The mere fact that Naruto didn't seem to mind his treatment nowadays both frustrated and intrigued Anko. Just a year ago, the boy seemed more than likely to cause some kind of a scene whenever people would scowl and berate him, but no less than a few days after beginning his training with her he stopped altogether. Anko had no idea why.

Little did Anko know that Naruto was well aware of _why _he was treated so unjustly. She could never know that he had met the source of the village's mistrust and bitterness towards him a year ago, and was actually on somewhat friendly terms with him. SO much so that Naruto was currently having a debate with his tenant as she watched him look over his menu.

_'What do you think Kurama?' _Naruto asked his prisoner.

The Kyuubi had told Naruto his true name about five months ago, when Naruto had asked. Why? Kurama had simply gotten tired of the brat calling him 'Furball' or 'Overgrown Plushy' all the time. The fox would _never _admit it, but he had begun to gain a grudging respect for the boy's attitude and perseverance during his training and in his treatment of him. That didn't mean he wasn't difficult however.

"**I don't know brat**," the fox replied in a bored tone. "**Get meat. Rare. And make sure it's rare meat**!"

Naruto resisted the urge to slam his head on the table in irritation.

_'What is it with you and rare meat!?' _Naruto groaned in annoyance. _'That's nasty! I don't want to get that! What if it's well-done?'_

Kurama huffed and turned his head in equal annoyance.

"**I'm a fox**," Kurama stated, as if it answered every point Naruto could possibly make. In most cases: it did. "**I like my meat that way! But, by all means: get your nasty overcooked food if that's what you want!**"

In an effort to compromise, Naruto ordered a platter of meat and vegetables, medium well.

While the two ate, Anko cleared her throat after taking a long swig of tea and looked at Naruto critically.

"You know brat," she said in a solemn tone. "The academy instructors might not treat you fairly. You know that right?"

Naruto looked up from his food, and swallowed a large bite. He scowled.

"I know that sensei," he replied with a click of his tongue in irritation. "But, as long as I just focus on what I have to do it's not important. I'll pass one way or another."

Anko sighed at how indifferent Naruto was acting towards an issue that could really make things difficult for him and added:

"If you say so," she said. "I don't know, try and make some allies while you're there though. I won't always be around to help you get out of tough spots with people. You need to learn how to build up support for yourself."

Naruto glared at his half-finished food and crossed his arms.

"Yeah sure," he said in in a whisper. "I'll try to make _friends. _That's gone well in the past!"

Anko looked on sadly at Naruto's forlorn expression. She wanted to help her student, she really did, but she couldn't force people to like him, or befriend him. It was something the boy would have to do on his own.

"Well, anyway," Anko continued. "As long as you try, that's good enough for me."

The two finished their food in relative silence, paid their bills and left the restaurant.

* * *

><p>Naruto scowled as he followed his sensei back to his apartment. Anko had some nerve to bring up the 'friend' subject again. Ever since she had taken him on, she had asked him why he didn't make an effort to get to know other kids his age. Naruto had looked at her incredulously, before he remembered that he wasn't supposed to know about Kurama, or his status in the village. For all he knew, Anko must've thought that regardless of his knowledge, he would be bursting at the seams to make friends.<p>

Naruto wasn't stupid however. Even before all of the business with his 'shadow' and Kurama was brought into light, he had tried to do just that before, only to be met with prejudice from villagers and some shinobi families alike. There were a few clan children that he could play with, but not often enough that he could become friends with them. Besides, ever since he started training to become a ninja, he found that he was usually too tired to venture out into the village to search for people to hang out with.

That didn't mean that he didn't want any friends though. As much as he like Anko and Kurama (although, he'd _never _let the overgrown mammal know that) he wanted to make friends with kids his own age. People he could laugh and hang out with, kids that he could invite to his apartment to play a game of cards, and simply someone other than his tenant and sensei to talk about things with. Sometimes, he was angered to no end that it seemed like he could never have what most kids his age took for granted. But, he was Naruto Uzumaki, and he wouldn't give up even if things seemed bleak. He would try and make a concerted effort.

While the two of them walked, Naruto began to wander off mentally. He thought about how strange it was that his 'shadow' had gone AWOL. The mere fact that Naruto couldn't sense a presence consistently following him around made him nervous. What were they up to? He got the feeling he would find out soon, and the thought greatly disturbed him. He was plenty scared when the mysterious masked figure had appeared in his mindscape all those nights ago and told him his cryptic request. '_Stay Alive,' _it had told him. As if Naruto was going to go and hang it up! But, the fact that the mysterious phantom was gone really unnerved him. He hoped that when he encountered them again, he would be ready.

He was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't notice when he bumped into someone, and crashed to the ground. He got up, rubbing his butt where he fell and scowled at the person responsible for it.

It was a boy his age, with black hair styled like a hawk's, and eyes of the same fathomless color. He was wearing a black shirt with a high collar that went to his chin, and light shorts. He was wearing black ninja sandals, so Naruto assumed that the boy was at least from a clan of ninja.

The boy glared at him for a moment before he got up as well, and brushed himself off. He stared expectantly at Naruto for a long moment before simply stating:

"Well?"

Naruto's brow furrowed.

"Well, what?" Naruto replied in agitation. He didn't like the way this kid was staring him down, like he was challenging him or something.

The boy rolled his eyes and refocused his glare on Naruto.

"Are you going to apologize for knocking me down?"

Naruto blinked. He had two ways to handle this situation. One: he could simply apologize for the transgression, and the both of them could resume on their separate ways, or two: he could just be himself.

He went with the latter.

"Me apologize!?" Naruto growled. "You're the one who should watch where they're going!"

The boy blinked and regarded Naruto in a new light. It seemed as if he was not used to people responding to him that way. He quickly covered up his surprise by scowling right back at Naruto.

"Whatever," he said scathingly. "You seem like the clumsy type."

Naruto felt his cheeks flush in indignation. Who did this smug kid think he was?

"Yeah," Naruto replied in a hiss. "And you seem like the type of person with a stick up their ass!"

The boy blinked again in surprise. He obviously had _never _been shown such blatant disrespect before.

The boy was about to respond when he was interrupted by Anko who had come over to see what all the commotion was about.

Anko looked over at Naruto, who looked about ready to blow a vien in anger and patted him on the head roughly.

"Just say you're sorry kiddo." She commanded sternly. Naruto glared at her and then turned to the boy, who was smirking at seeing him get admonished.

"No way," Naruto huffed as he crossed his arms. "I don't like this guy. He seems like a prick."

The boy bristle with anger but was quelled when Anko turned her gaze on him.

Anko studied the boy carefully and made a discovery.

_'An Uchiha,' _she mused. _'Must be Fugaku's. I bet the kid is going to enroll at the Academy this year as well.' _

"Hey kid," Anko addressed the boy who looked at her curiously. "Are you going to enroll in the Ninja Academy this semester?"

The boy paused for a moment, and nodded curtly. Anko smiled and ruffled Naruto's hair, which he growled at.

"Well, this brat," she said indicating Naruto. "Is going to enroll as well. Why don't you two introduce yourselves?"

The boy looked like he didn't want to, until he noticed a hand shoot out in front of him.

"Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto grumbled, not making eye-contact with the boy. He had an annoyed expression on his face.

The boy smirked and shook Naruto's hand.

"Sasuke Uchiha." the boy responded.

Anko smiled and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Well, Sasuke-kun, I guess Naruto will be seeing you soon. Sorry about him bumping into you by the way. The kid's clumsier than an Akimichi trying to diet."

Naruto grumbled something unflattering that Anko ignored, while Sasuke just chuckled slightly.

"It's not a big deal," Sasuke replied, sticking his hands in his pockets as he turned to walk away. He stopped and turned back around.

"See you around, Naruto."

Naruto blinked as he watched the boy walk away. He didn't know why, but he got the feeling that he wasn't going to like the kid at all.

Anko grinned down at him.

"See?" She teased, poking at his cheek. Naruto swatted her hand away and scowled. "It's not hard to introduce yourself to people!"

Naruto sighed and glanced up at her.

"Whatever," he mumbled in reply. "Let's just go."

Anko shrugged and continued walking towards Naruto's apartment with the boy in tow.

She couldn't help but wonder what lay in store for her young student once he entered the Academy next week. If all went according to plan, Naruto would do well there. If not, well; Anko would make sure that things were tipped in the brat's favor. Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes, right?

Naruto kept glancing over his shoulder to see if he could see the retreating figure of Sasuke. As much as it annoyed him to think about it, meeting the boy had been the closest he had come to interacting with someone his age. Could they be friends? It seemed unlikely. Between the boy's cocky attitude and 'stick-up-the-butt' way of acting, Naruto could tell that Sasuke wasn't the type of person he would want as his first friend.

* * *

><p>Anko dropped Naruto off at his apartment after exchanging a quick hello with Neko, Naruto's ANBU protector. Neko didn't show up as often anymore, maybe three times a week to check in on Naruto. This saddened the boy, as he had gotten used to her presence. After he quickly told Neko about his day and said farewell to his sensei, Naruto took out his keys and unlocked his apartment door and stepped inside.<p>

As he kicked off his sandals, his mind flashed back on Sasuke again, and the thought of whether or not he could possibly be friends with the kid. He quickly scowled and dismissed the though, opting to go take a shower and go to bed, as to be ready for his training with Anko in the morning. However, Kurama had a piece of advice for his young container:

"**Beggars can't be choosers, right brat**?"

Naruto wanted to protest and say something snappy back to his tenant, but halted. Kurama had a point.

"No," Naruto sighed as he got undressed for his shower. "No, they can't. I guess I'll just have to see what happens..."

**AN:**** So Naruto and Sasuke finally meet. Before everyone says _anything. _I have stuff planned that will change the relationship between Sasuke and Naruto in a unique way. Also, count on Naruto meeting a lot of familiar faces next chapter as he enters the Academy. For those of you that are wondering what's become of the Shadow? Don't worry: He'll be back...Till next time!**


	19. Chapter 19

**AN:**** Before we get the chapter underway, I would like to graciously thank everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed this story. Especially reviews! I've been going through a lot this month, and I love getting messages from you guys to let me know that you're enjoying the story, as it really helps me to keep going. And for that, I humbly thank you all! And without further ado, we begin the Academy Gaiden! **

**Chapter 19:**

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

A shape shrouded in blankets rolled to one side of its bed in irritation.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Once again, the figure covered in blankets rolled, trying to block out the overwhelming sound.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP...

And the diminishing sound was all that was heard as one Naruto Uzumaki unceremoniously tossed his alarm clock out the window.

Naruto sat up in his bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He stretched and groggily slipped out of bed, and gingerly made his way over to his window. He poked his head out and, with reflexes that were beyond most seven-year-olds, deftly caught the recently discarded alarm clock that was tossed at him from below.

Naruto glanced down to see his guardian, Neko with her arm still outstretched from her toss.

"Naruto-san," she shouted disapprovingly. "I understand that you like to sleep, but you cannot throw your alarm clock outside every morning!"

Naruto nodded lazily and yawned.

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled. "Sorry again, Neko-san."

With a wave of thanks, Naruto shut his window and locked it, and set his alarm clock back on his bedside table before making his way to his kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, Naruto sidled to his fridge and opened it up. Ever since Anko had become his teacher, she insisted that he start eating like a normal person, and not like a poor college student; whatever that meant. His once 'instant-ramen-only' stock had now flourished into a healthy variety of fruits, vegetables, and meat, which his sensei had happily acquired for him, seeing that the villagers would simply offer him spoiled foodstuffs or overcharge him. Naruto got out an apple and made his way to his cabinet to get out some cereal to eat.

After two bowls, and the apple, Naruto was feeling refreshed and somewhat ready to start his day. He hopped in the shower next and once clean got dressed. Upon arriving in his living room, he glanced at his calender to notice that as of today, he had officially attended the Ninja Academy for one whole month. Hooray.

It wasn't that Naruto didn't like the Academy, it was all well and good for the most part, but he found the academics to be completely boring and tedious. He wanted to do ninja stuff! Apparently, most Academy students didn't move up to practical ninja training until their second year, which irritated Naruto to no end. He could run circles around a lot of the older students, much to their chagrin. What was the point of learning all of those ninja skills from Anko-sensei if he wouldn't get to use them for another whole year?

That wasn't to say that he was at the top of his class however. He knew (as much as he hated to admit it) that he was severely lacking in book-studies. He wasn't at the bottom of the class mind you, but he just didn't see the point in knowing what would happen if you threw a shuriken at such and such angle and at this or that velocity! It just seemed impractical. What ninja worth his forehead protector was going to sit around and allow you to run calculations of battle scenarios in your head during a face-off. Naruto had brought this point up many times only to be reprimanded.

Naruto sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair and made his way to his door. Upon opening it, he ran into a familiar face.

"Yo. Are you ready to go yet?" Said the voice of one Sasuke Uchiha.

Contrary to what Naruto thought a month ago, Sasuke Uchiha had become one of his few friends at the Academy. Sure, he was still a pompous brat with a stick up his butt, but he was good company if Naruto wanted to talk about actually _being _a ninja. Sasuke took his studies very seriously, and was currently at the top of the class in all areas. Of course, this would change as soon as they moved into shinobi skills, as Naruto had already been training vigorously for a whole year over him.

Naruto had even met Sasuke's family. His father, Fugaku Uchiha, was the head of Konoha's Police Force and disliked Naruto the moment they met. Naruto didn't like Fugaku either, so that suited him just fine. Sasuke's mother, Mikoto, had taken to him like a third son. She dotted on him and always wanted to know how he was doing, if he was training to hard, or if he needed anything. Naruto appreciated the sentiment immensely, it was nice to know that she cared about his well-being so much. Sasuke's older brother, Itachi was somewhat of an enigma. He was in the ANBU, like Naruto's protector Neko. Itachi was stoic and calculating, but had a calm demeanor, and when available, would help the two boys train and practice. Sasuke held his brother in high-esteem, and wanted to surpass him someday. Naruto got the feeling that Sasuke was vying for his father's attention with that proclamation, but who can say? He wasn't a therapist.

Naruto didn't trust the rest of the Uchiha Clan however. Anytime that he went to the Uchiha compound to visit Sasuke he was badgered with the same scornful looks that he received from the villagers, but the looks from the Uchiha seemed much more pronounced. Kurama wouldn't say anything on the topic, which made Naruto speculate that the giant fox must've done something awful to the Uchiha Clan. Not that it made Naruto feel sympathetic to them, after all; they weren't really going out of their way to do the same for him.

Naruto grinned at his friend as he stepped out of his door and locked it behind him.

"You bet!" He said cheerfully. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>The two of them set off for the Academy at a brisk walk. It was a crisp autumn day and the sun was beginning to crest over the horizon, bathing the village in a warm, inviting glow.<p>

"So, how's your training with that snake woman going?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto frowned at him.

"Her name is Anko, Sasuke!" Naruto reprimanded.

Sasuke shrugged and continued waiting expectantly for an answer. Naruto sighed and put his hands behind his head casually.

"It's going well," he replied. "She's really been working me into the ground to get my chakra control to get better. I just don't understand why it's so hard!"

That wasn't entirely true however. Naruto knew that as much as he enjoyed hanging out with Sasuke, he couldn't tell his friend about Kurama. He still hadn't told his sensei or the Old Man about his knowledge of his tenant. He also knew that the reason why he had trouble with his chakra control was because, unlike other children his age, Naruto had massive amounts of chakra due to the Kyuubi. He had the feeling that Anko knew this, but decided that it was no excuse, and that he needed to work extra hard to get it to a manageable level. Easier said than done.

Sasuke yawned slightly and smirked.

"Maybe it's because you just suck?" He added innocently.

Naruto scowled at him and huffed indignantly.

"Fine," Naruto spat. "If that's how you want to play it Uchiha, maybe I can just leave you to your own devices whenever your fan-club comes looking for you?"

Sasuke paled as white as a ghost and shook his head frantically.

"Y-you wouldn't do that!" He gasped in horror. "That's cruel! You have no idea what you're saying-"

"Relax!" Naruto laughed. "Even though I think you could use a bit of a good scare, I wouldn't do that to you! What would Mikoto-oba say?"

Sasuke's expression returned to a much calmer one as he sighed deeply.

"I really hate you sometimes Naruto. Seriously, I do."

* * *

><p>The two of them arrived at the Academy with time to spare and made their way to the first year classroom, taking seats in the middle of the spacious room. Sasuke of course, preferred the window seat, as it allowed him to 'look cool' as Naruto often put it, as he glanced out the window apathetically. Naruto however knew the real reason Sasuke preferred the window seat: with Naruto sitting next to him, no one could sit beside him, especially members of his fan-club. Naruto had, on numerous occasions, switched seats with Sasuke and refused to move. Not only did this make Sasuke extremely agitated and moody, but it also entertained Naruto greatly when his friend was stampeded by a horde of female admirers. However, after several altercations with Sasuke's fist, and a few good bumps on the head, Naruto had stopped teasing Sasuke about it, and allowed him to take his place by the window permanently.<p>

They didn't have to wait long until the rest of the class began to enter, in no particular order.

First was the the inseparable duo of Shikamaru Nara and Chouji Akimichi. Both boys were heirs to their respective clans, like Sasuke, but that was where their similarities ended.

Shikamaru had shoulder length hair tied in a spiky ponytail and narrow brown eyes. He wore rather plain attire consisting of: a green lined mesh T-shirt under a short sleeved gray jacket with green edges. He donned brown pants and blue ninja sandals. Shikamaru was notorious for being the laziest person in class. He was generally unenthusiastic about anything that did not involve sleeping or watching clouds, and liked to call anything short of those two activities troublesome.

Chouji Akimichi had spiky brown hair, with red swirl markings on his cheeks. He was rather...rotund, although if one were to mention this fact to him they were asking to be hit; hard. Chouji wore black shorts, a long white scarf, and a short-sleeved green haori over a white shirt. Chouji was very kind and well-mannered, and always had a bag of chips at his disposal. Where he kept them all was anyone's guess, although Naruto speculated a few places Chouji could be keeping his snacks, much to Sasuke's displeasure.

More of their peers began to file in, one by one into the class.

There was Kiba Inuzuka, second-in-line to the leadership of the ninken using Inuzuka Clan. The feral boy had messy brown hair, sharp black eyes, with vertical-slit pupils, pronounced canine teeth, and nails that could change into claws. He had distinctive red fang markings of his clan on either cheek. He wore dark gray pants and a lighter gray, fur-trimmed coat that he usually wore over his head, but today, he had it down. Kiba and Naruto didn't really get on well. They were both loud and brash, but Kiba didn't seem to understand when to stop. Naruto found him to be the most annoying boy in the class, and didn't hesitate to let him know. Kiba often harked on and on about how he would be getting his own ninken pup soon, and with him would become an unstoppable force. Naruto begged to differ.

Following Kiba was the ever silent and mysterious Shino Aburame of the insect wielding Aburame Clan. Sasuke liked to point out that Shino could give his oniichan, Itachi a run for his ryo in the 'I don't talk much, and it makes me oh so mysterious' game. Shino wore dark sunglasses over his eyes, and a running point of curiosity amongst the class was what his eyes looked like. He also always wore a long trench-coat that rose all the way up to his nose, concealing his face for the most part. Naruto wanted to know what Shino could be hiding underneath all of that clothing, while Sasuke thought they were better off _not _knowing.

Next, was Hinata Hyuga heiress of the prestigious and noble Hyuga Clan. Naruto liked Hinata, even if she was much to shy and quiet for his liking. It also didn't help that every time he tried to talk to her, she would go beet red and faint. Sasuke and Anko both seemed to understand what that was all about, and found it amusing to leave Naruto in the dark about its meaning. Kurama even had a few laughs at Naruto's expense, until the boy pestered him about it so much that the fox threatened to eat him if he didn't shut up about it. Not like the overgrown plushie could. Hinata had dark blue hair, cut in a hime-style. And white eyes, with a hint of lavender in them. She wore a beige jacket that looked to be a tad bit large for her, and leggings that cut off below her knees. The girl glanced at Naruto, only to find her looking in her direction, made a loud squeaking noise, blushed red and ran to her seat in the back, all the while avoiding eye contact with our whiskered hero. Naruto huffed in his seat and turned to Sasuke.

"Seriously," Naruto growled. "What is that girl's damage?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, and continued to look out the window.

"Hn," he replied. "I don't know. You?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha.

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Hn."

"Oh!" Naruto spat. "Very enlightening, Uchiha-san."

Following Hinata, was yet another shy girl, Sakura Haruno. Sakura was from a civilian family that owned a chain of food stores in the village. That put her on Naruto's 'shit-list' by default. He had nothing against the girl personally, but he remembered that the Haruno's were some of the most adamant about not allowing him anywhere near their stores, and would constantly chase him out.

Sakura had pink hair that she had tied up in a red ribbon and bright green eyes. She wore a red qipao dress with white circular designs and dark green shorts, finished off with a pair of blue ninja sandals. She was studious and quiet for the most part, only answering questions when asked, or when no one else volunteered the answer. She was actually ahead of Sasuke in academic ranking, and held the spot of top student. Sasuke often commented that he would change that whenever they actually got to ninja stuff, after which Naruto would add that he would topple Sasuke from that spot, much to the Uchiha's annoyance.

And last, but certainly not least entered the ever-popular, ever-annoying Ino Yamanaka. Ino was a bit of an enigma to Naruto and Sasuke. She claimed to only want Sasuke's undying affections (which made Sasuke gag) but always flirted with Naruto as well. Whereas Sasuke was completely content to deny Ino at ever turn, Naruto had no idea what to do in situations where the blonde would hit on him. Ino glanced at the two of them and blew a kiss, which made Sasuke pale and quickly glance out the window again, and left Naruto staring at her like she had just sprouted seven extra heads.

Ino had long, pale blonde hair that was done in a long ponytail and striking blue eyes. She was donned in a short, purple vest like blouse with a raised collar, and a matching apron skirt that was tied off at the sides. She wore bandages like Naruto, expect hers covered her stomach and legs. She also wore purple and white elbow warmers. The last of these attire choices often cause Naruto to wonder what purpose elbow warmers even served. Were they so her elbows wouldn't get sore from resting on her desk? If so, Shikamaru could probably benefit from getting his own pair...

The rest of the nobodies in their year filed in after Ino and Sasuke had to quickly make sure he was tuned out of the world in his 'brooding pose' as Naruto called it, to avoid the hungry stares of his fan club.

And at last, their chuunin instructor waltzed into the room and told everyone to settle down, be quiet, and take their seats. He repeated this several times until he used a strange and alarming jutsu which enlarged his head to ridiculous proportions and screamed for order.

Which was given immediately.

* * *

><p>Naruto focused on his Academy instructor: Iruka Umino.<p>

Iruka was a man in either his late teens or early twenties, Naruto wasn't sure how old the man was exactly. He had black hair which he kept in a ponytail (not unlike Shikamaru) dark eyes, and a long scar that ran across the bridge of his nose. He wore the standard uniform of a Konoha shinobi complete with forehead protector, sandals, and a green flak jacket. Iruka tended to roll his sleeves up slightly as well. Naruto surmised this was so he wouldn't dirty his outfit when slapping misbehaved students upside the head, while Sasuke surmised that Naruto was simply an idiot.

Since day one, Naruto had conflicting thoughts about his instructor. When calling roll the first day, Iruka paused when he got to Naruto's name, made eye-contact with him briefly, and looked away with a scowl. Naruto was about to dismiss Iruka as yet another person who hated him for something he had no control over, but was surprised when the man actually answered his questions and treated him fairly, if not a tad indifferently. That was fine in Naruto's book. The thing that bothered Naruto about Iruka was _why _the man treated him differently. At first, Naruto assumed that the Old Man or Anko-sensei had strong-armed the man into doing it, but when asked both had stated that they had nothing to do with the way Iruka treated him. In fact, Anko seemed a little _too _interested when Naruto had mentioned his new teacher to her, and that made him nervous. Nevertheless, Naruto decided to let things play out between Iruka and himself. If there was a problem in the future between them, so be it: it was business as usual. If not: all the better.

Iruka walked to the podium situated in the front of the classroom and glanced around at his expectant students with a solemn expression.

_'They're not going to like this one, but oh well...' _The scarred teacher thought,

"All right class," Iruka began. "Today, we'll be having a pop quiz!"

And cue much groaning and complaining.

"That's enough of that!" Snapped Iruka in response, instantly shutting the class up. "As you know, you've only been here for one month. These quizzes are essential to your education as promising candidates for becoming ninja of the village! You need to know this information! It will be vital to your success!"

And cue: one hand shooting into the air.

Iruka followed the hand to its source and groaned inwardly when he found that it belonged to none other than Naruto Uzumaki. Iruka let out a long, dejected sigh.

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Iruka-sensei, if I may," replied Naruto brightly, making everyone in the class groan in unison. "May I contest your earlier statement?"

Iruka closed his eyes and counted to three to calm himself down. Naruto _always _had to contest the things he said.

"Naruto," began Iruka placatingly, but was abruptly cut off by Naruto, who in the span of a few seconds had somehow scrambled up onto his desk and was now using it like a speech platform.

"Point of contention, number one," began Naruto in his best official-sounding voice. "I do not believe that we need to know the make of a kunai to use it properly!"

Sasuke decided to throw his two ryo in.

"African or European?" He commented.

Naruto blinked and looked down at his friend in confusion.

"What do you mean, Sasuke?"

"African or European make? There's a difference in velocity and traveling speed, you know."

"I hardly think it matters my dear Uchiha."

"But it does," Sasuke insisted. "It makes all the difference."

"How so?" Questioned Naruto, who was now crouching at Sasuke's level as they continued their debate.

"Well, for one..." Sasuke began, but was interrupted by Iruka who bellowed.

"SHUT UP! BOTH OF YOU! OR I'M THROWING YOU OUT! AND NARUTO UZUMAKI: SIT DOWN THIS INSTANT!"

Naruto scowled at Iruka for a brief moment, shrugged, and gracefully plopped back in his chair.

Iruka took another three seconds to center himself before continuing.

"As I was saying," Iruka continued, with a slightly harried tone. "These quizzes are fundamental in your education as young ninjas and..."

Iruka stopped his lecture once again when he heard whispering. He scanned the room only to fix his gaze on Naruto and Sasuke who were locked in a hushed debate once again.

"What does it matter if it's an African kunai, Sasuke?" Naruto hissed. "They're slightly heavier, I'll give you that..."

"It makes all the difference Naruto," shot back Sasuke. "European kunai cannot hope to compete with the African make; it just isn't practical..."

Iruka felt his temper boiling to the surface and once again bellowed:

"UZUMAKI AND UCHIHA! I SWEAR TO KAMI: ONE MORE INTERRUPTION..."

Naruto and Sasuke suddenly found Iruka to be the most interesting thing in the classroom after that.

Iruka shook his head and began to speak, but thought better of it.

"You know what?" He said in a growl. "I'm just going to pass out the quizzes..."

* * *

><p>Anko got a good laugh out of Naruto's story when he relayed it to her after a hard afternoon of training.<p>

"SO you really got the Dolphin mad, eh?" Anko cackled as she chowed down on a stick of dango.

Naruto laughed as well and wiped a tear from his eye.

"Oh yeah," he gasped. "The old 'African and European make gag: it works wonders!"

Anko patted Naruto on the head fondly.

"You impress me kiddo," she gushed. "Now, let's call it a day, all right?"

Naruto nodded, got up from the ground he was currently sitting on and brushed the dirt off of his clothes.

As teacher and pupil made their way out of the training ground, Anko commented:

"African and European," she snickered in disbelief. "Those aren't even _real _places! Where do you come up with it, brat?"

Naruto chuckled and placed his hands behind his head.

"What can I say?" Naruto replied proudly. "I'm a genius when it comes to annoying people!"

Anko patted him on the head again.

"That you are brat. That you are."

* * *

><p>Naruto settled down in his bed after finishing his homework, well at least: most of it. He couldn't be bothered to do his math homework: that was for nerds like Sasuke and Sakura after all, and as long as he got a decent grade in the subject, what did it matter?<p>

As he lay in his bed thinking on the events of the day, he was interrupted by Kurama.

"**Hey kid**," Kurama growled. "**Be alert. Someone's here that shouldn't be.**"

Naruto was about to ask the fox what he meant, when he felt the familiar and very unwelcome presence.

He sprang to his feet and glared at the intruder.

"You!"

A low, chuckle was all that replied as a figure emerged from the shadows of Naruto's bedroom.

In all of its glory, the masked phantom that had plagued Naruto's nightmares was there, cloaked in darkness as always, with the blank white mask.

"Me." The shadow replied with amusement. "You've grown a lot in the past year Naruto-kun..."

Naruto growled and reached for his nightstand, where he kept a kunai in case of emergencies. He also thought about signaling for Neko, but he didn't know if the masked figure would give him the opportunity.

"Now, now," the masked shadow chided. "None of that. I'm not here to fight. Instead, I bring you a warning."

Naruto lowered his guard for only a moment in surprise, before it quickly went up again.

"What warning?" Naruto hissed.

The masked figure said nothing for a moment before simply stating:

"Things are going to change Naruto-kun," it said cryptically. "Things are going to change very soon. I hope you're ready."

And with that, the masked shadow vanished in a swirl of darkness, almost as if it were never there in the first place.

* * *

><p>Naruto gulped and placed a hand on his chest, where his heart was beating rapidly.<p>

_'What could it possibly be talking about? Kurama, any idea?' _Naruto wondered.

Kurama growled deeply in response before replying.

"**I have no idea kid**," the Bijuu answered. "**All I know is that we'll have to be very careful from now on. More careful than usual. I don't like this one bit**."

Naruto nodded as he settled down on his bed, even though he knew he wouldn't get any sleep tonight. As he clutched his pillow to his head he murmured:

"I don't like it one bit either."

**AN:**** And the Shadow returns in all of his glory! Sasuke and Naruto are friends, and Ino has an interest in both of them. Is Ino the girl of the pairing? Who know? I do: but that's besides the point. What could the Shadow's warning mean? You'll have to find out next time! As always leave me a review or PM if your feeling up to it! **


	20. Chapter 20

**AN:**** Hey everyone! Here's Chapter 20! A quick word: I've decided on the pairing for Naruto, and I would like to thank everyone who submitted ideas: I appreciate the effort! Also, I just released a humorous Naruto one-shot called: Why Omoi Can't Do Weather Forecasts. Be sure to check it out if you're interested! And now: onto the chapter!**

**Chapter 20:**

Naruto's sleep was just as restless as he thought it would be. He tossed and turned in his blankets every few seconds and grunted in agitation as his nightmares reached higher levels of terror.

It became so bad that Kurama pulled the young boy into his mindscape to alleviate some of the duress, (although Kurama wasn't going to tell Naruto that).

Naruto blearily opened his eyes as he sat cross-legged in the ankle deep water of his swear-like mindscape, only to notice a disgruntled Kurama glaring down at him from his place in his seal.

"Hey Kurama," began Naruto in bewilderment. "What am I doing here?"

The giant fox demon scoffed and rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"**You were having night terrors brat**," Kurama explained. "**You were rolling all over the place and your thoughts were in complete disarray. I brought you hear so things would calm down for both of us!**"

Naruto blinked in surprise and then smiled widely.

"Wow!" He exclaimed. "You did that for me? Thanks!"

Kurama's eyes widened and he cleared his throat quickly, while waving a tail in blatant dismissal of the topic.

"**I didn't do it for you!**" Kurama defended vehemently. "**I did it because I couldn't stand all the noise you were making!**"

Naruto nodded sagely, but maintained a goofy smile.

"Sure you did, fur-ball."

"**It's true, brat!**"

"Sure it is!"

"**It is!**"

"Naturally."

"**I hate you.**"

The two continued to glare at each other until Naruto broke the engagement by asking:

"So, what do you think that Shadow guy meant by 'things changing'?"

Kurama growled slightly and lowered himself down onto his belly.

"**Like I said earlier: I don't know.**" He stated. "**But whatever it's up to, I'd be on my guard. Just like when it used that shadow-double of your meat-sack teacher, it could be up to something more devious.**"

Naruto gulped and nodded slowly. He wouldn't easily forget meeting the doppelganger of his sensei that night in the Old Man's office. If his mysterious pursuer was planning something _worse _than that, well; he really didn't want to be caught unawares when it happened.

"I think I should go see the Old Man and tell him everything..." Naruto mumbled out loud. Unfortunately, Kurama picked up every word.

"**I agree that you need to let the old meat-sack know what's happening brat**," Kurama replied. "**But it still is not prudent to let him know that **_**you **_**know about the awesomeness that is Kurama the Nine-Tails!**"

Naruto felt a sweat drop run down his face at the fox's statement.

"Fine," Naruto sighed, scratching his head. "I won't tell the Old Man that I know about you yet. But he needs to know everything about what the Shadow said, right?"

The giant fox nodded slowly in agreement. Naruto smirked.

"Glad we can agree about something!"

Kurama simply huffed.

There was a poignant silence between the two as Naruto searched for something to say. Finally, he decided to ask about something he'd been wondering about for a long time about Kurama.

"So, Kurama," Naruto began carefully, trying to gauge how the fox would react. "Why _did _you attack the Leaf Village seven years ago?"

Kurama stared down at Naruto with such a severe gaze, the boy actually backed up a few steps. Noticing the fearful expression on his host's face, Kurama chuckled quietly.

"**I don't feel like sharing that story just yet brat**," the fox grumbled. "**It's not relevant to anything happening right now. If I were you, I'd just worry about this Shadow guy that's after us!**"

Naruto pouted slightly, but knew better than to try and cajole Kurama into explaining further. When the fox refused to answer something he wouldn't change his mind until he felt like it, no matter what Naruto did. And, Kurama had a point. Knowing about the motive behind the Bijuu's attack on his village years ago would not help him in his current predicament of preparing for whatever his hunter planned to throw at him next. Dropping the subject seemed like the best option.

Naruto got up from his seated position and looked around the cavernous space that was Kurama's seal. Even though he had ventured to his own mindscape many times over the past year to speak to his tenant, he still found it somewhat amazing that this place was actually in his own head. The thought was disorienting and incredible at the same time. Naruto had done some research about mindscapes, and discovered that very few people can access their own mindscape at will, if they are not a Jinchuuriki. Naruto could do it about fifty percent of the time now, whereas just a year ago, he couldn't do it at all. Most of the time, he needed Kurama's help to access his mindscape, but he was slowly beginning to understand how to do it on his own.

Naruto turned back to the giant fox and posed another question.

"What about Anko-sensei?" Naruto asked.

Kurama's eyebrows rose.

"**What about her?**" He grumbled in reply.

Naruto began to pace around the room in rapt thought.

"Well," he continued slowly. "What if I tell her about you? I need to tell someone that I know why the village hates me! I can't tell Teuchi-oji, or Ayame-nee: they wouldn't understand! I also can't tell Mikoto-oba, or Sasuke: in fact, I get the feeling letting the Uchiha Clan know that _I _know what I am is a really bad idea!"

Kurama huffed in agreement to the latter statement, as Naruto rounded on him with wide, pleading eyes.

"Kurama," Naruto whispered with his head hung low. "I need to let someone know. I...I can't keep this burden to myself anymore."

Kurama remained silent after Naruto's admission for a long moment before replying:

"**Then, tell the female meat-sack you call sensei about me, but make her swear to secrecy!**"

Naruto looked up, and his expression brightened immensely.

"Okay!" Naruto cheered. "I can do that!"

Kurama narrowed his red eyes at the boy in front of him.

"**But**," Kurama hissed. "**Be aware that her loyalty is not only tied to you, but also to the village altogether. Even if she swears not to tell, what's to stop her from revealing your knowledge of me to the old meat-sack if he orders her to? You need to be careful in how you tell her.**"

Naruto blinked, and his smile faded slightly.

"I don't understand," Naruto replied. "I don't think the Old Man would do that-"

"**Brat!**" Kurama bellowed in annoyance. "**The old meat-sack is in charge of the whole village! He's probably done things that you wouldn't believe! You need to trust me on this. Make sure if you tell your sensei about me, you do it in a place away from others...Perhaps ask her to meet you in that forest training ground...**"

Naruto paled considerably.

"THE FOREST OF DEATH!? NO WAY!"

"**Yes way.**" Kurama answered, leaving no room for challenge. "T**hat is my condition. Take it or leave it. Besides, it's not like you have to worry about being attacked there if she is with you, right?**"

Naruto kicked at the water at his feet, and grumbled.

"That's true," he sighed in dejection. "I _hate _that place, though."

"**Tough cookies!**" Kurama growled. "**You're the one who needs to get this off of your chest! So either you tell her there or you don't tell her ever!**"

There was a long stretch of silence between Naruto and Kurama as they stared each other down, before Naruto sighed deeply and finally replied:

"Okay then. I'll ask Anko-sensei to meet me there when I see her next."

Kurama nodded in satisfaction.

"**Now, you should probably leave,**" the fox grumbled as he closed his eyes. "**I'm tired, and I can sense that you need to actually try and sleep. You have a long day ahead.**"

Naruto nodded glumly and did nothing as his mindscape started to disappear all around him, leaving him in a world of darkness, before sleep finally took him.

* * *

><p>When Naruto awoke to his alarm clock in the morning, he had to resist the urge to toss it out of his window. He didn't want to invoke Neko. So, he shut it off and unplugged it from his wall as he got ready for the day.<p>

Sasuke met him outside of his apartment as usual and the two friends made their way to the Academy not saying much besides exchanging greetings.

Naruto noticed that his friend was more quiet than usual, and wondered what was on his mind.

"Something wrong Sasuke?" Naruto asked as they rounded a corner.

Sasuke looked at Naruto and began to open his mouth to answer, but thought better of it, and shook his head. Naruto wasn't convinced by that and pressed the subject.

"Really," Naruto egged on. "What's wrong with you?"

Sasuke sighed deeply and stopped walking.

"Something's going on around the compound," he said dejectedly. "The adults in the clan and my father think that I don't notice, but Itachi-nii and the other adults of the clan aren't getting along for some reason. My mother says it's nothing to worry about, but I can't help but feel like something's going on..."

Naruto thought about what his friend had just said and had a brief flash back to last night and the cryptic warning he had received.

'_Things are going to change, very soon' _is what the masked figure had said. Could Sasuke's family have something to do with it?

"What do you think is happening then?" Naruto asked as he kicked a nearby can down the street.

Sasuke placed his hands in his pockets and glared at the ground so fiercely, he could've burned a hole through it with his gaze.

"That's what's bothering me!" he growled. "I can't make heads or tails of it! All I know is that things are changing from what they used to be like, and I don't like it!"

Sasuke's latter statement caused Naruto to stop dead in his tracks. Sasuke realized that Naruto had stopped and looked at him strangely.

"What's wrong with you?" Sasuke asked with raised eyebrows.

Naruto blinked and began to laugh nervously.

"Nothing! It's nothing! Everything's fine! "

Sasuke shot Naruto a suspicious look, but didn't press the subject, which Naruto let out a sigh of relief at.

"Whatever," Sasuke said dismissively. "Let's just go to class."

Naruto nodded and began to follow after his friend, his head hung low with a scowl on his face.

'_Everything's fine?' _Naruto thought scathingly. _'Yeah, right.__'_

* * *

><p>After a rather uneventful day at the Academy, Naruto said goodbye to Sasuke who headed back toward the Uchiha District, and then made his way towards Dangoya, where he was to meet Anko.<p>

Upon arriving, he found Anko sipping on a saucer of sake and going through what had to be her ninth plate of dango. Naruto scowled as he took a seat on the stool next to her.

"All of that dango has to be bad for you, sensei!" Naruto huffed as he crossed his arms.

Anko took a big gulp of her sake and looked down at him with raised eyebrows.

"What's troubling my favorite brat today?" She asked curiously.

Naruto blinked and looked at her in surprise.

"Was I really that obvious?" Naruto asked.

Anko laughed and drained the last of her sake in one go.

"Kiddo, you wear your emotions so openly it isn't even funny!"

Naruto glared at his sensei in indignation, which only made Anko laugh harder.

"Okay," Anko corrected. "It's pretty damn funny!"

Seeing that the troubled look on Naruto's face hadn't changed, Anko adopted a more serious expression and added:

"Seriously: what's wrong?"

Naruto took a deep breath and looked at his sensei. He had known Anko for a year and a month now, and could count her as someone he trusted, even though she could really drive him crazy sometimes.

"I-I need to tell you something sensei..." Naruto began slowly, looking down at his hands in his lap.

Anko's eyebrows rose and she cocked her head to the side curiously.

"Okay then," she replied cheerfully. "Well, spill it!"

Naruto glanced around at the other denizens of the dango shop and scowled

"Not here," Naruto added quickly. "I need to talk to you alone."

Anko's brow furrowed slightly, and then she smiled slyly.

"Oh?" She said with a knowing smirk. "And what's so secret you can't tell me right now? Could you perhaps have a crush on someone you don't want anyone but me to hear about? Hmm?"

Naruto flushed red and shook his head frantically.

"NO! IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT! I'M SEVEN YEARS OLD FOR KAMI'S SAKE!"

If Naruto's intention was to _not _try and draw attention to himself, he was doing a horrendous job. Every head in the resturant turned to look at him curiously.

Naruto glared at everyone looking at him in return.

"WHAT'RE YOU LOOKING AT!?" He bellowed. As quickly as everyone turned to look, they went back to their own business.

Anko chuckled and placed a few ryo on the counter as she stood up.

"All right brat," she said as she stretched out. "Where do you want to go talk then?"

Naruto stood up as well and played with the hem of his vest nervously.

"Can we talk at Training Ground #44?" He asked quietly. "It's important that we're not overheard..."

Anko's eyes widened in surprise. In the year that she's known Naruto he _never _offered to voluntarily go to her favorite training ground! Whatever the boy wanted to talk about must be important.

Anko smiled deviously as she patted Naruto on the head, which he growled at.

"Lead the way, kiddo!" Anko cheered.

Naruto began to walk out of the shop while muttering:

"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret this...?"

* * *

><p>When the two of them arrived at the Forest of Death, Anko opened one of the many gates to allow them entry. They hopped through the trees in relative silence, before Anko stopped on a tree branch about a mile in and turned to her student, arms crossed expectantly.<p>

"Well," Anko began. "What is it that you have to tell me brat?"

Naruto took a deep breath. This was it. He had no idea what his sensei's reaction would be. Would she be mad that he kept his knowledge of Kurama from her? Maybe she would be scared that he was conversing with the very beast that terrorized the village for a whole year without telling anyone about it? Or perhaps, knowing his sensei: she wouldn't give a damn either way?

Naruto exhaled and looked at Anko seriously.

"I know about the fox," he said quickly. "I've known about him for a whole year now, and I've talked to him, and-"

"Hold on!" Anko said in shock. "You _know _about the Kyuubi!?"

Naruto nodded.

Anko pinched the bridge of her nose in agitation.

"Why didn't you tell me!?" She shouted. Naruto flinched at her stony glare before answering meekly.

"Well, Kurama and I thought-"

"Brat," Anko interrupted. "Who the hell is Kurama!?"

Naruto sighed.

"Kurama is the Kyuubi's real name," Naruto explained. "He and I thought that it was best that I didn't tell anyone that I knew about him. He thought that it would just complicate things!"

Anko looked at Naruto with a mixture of exasperation and annoyance.

"Brat. You understand that the mere fact that you're _aware _that you're a Jinchuuriki complicates things, right?"

Naruto nodded glumly.

Anko sighed and plopped down on the tree branch and rubbed her head.

"This isn't good. I'll have to tell the Hokage that you're aware-"

"NO!" Naruto shouted so loudly that several birds took off from the top of the tree they were perched in nearby. Anko looked at him in bewilderment.

"No?" Anko repeated. "Kiddo, I _have _to!"

"You can't!" Naruto pleaded. "Kurama and I think it's better that the Old Man doesn't know, _yet._"

Anko narrowed her eyes at Naruto.

"Naruto."

Naruto's eyes widened. Anko only used his name when she was deadly serious.

"The fact that you're even listening to what the Kyuubi, Kurama whatever; says isn't good. The Hokage needs to know that you've been doing it. What happens if it's trying to escape? We can't let this go on without getting his advice!"

"Kurama isn't all bad!" Naruto argued. "Please Anko-sensei, I'm telling you this because you're the only person I can trust! I just couldn't keep it a secret anymore! I'll tell the Old Man when the time is right!"

Anko's eyes narrowed further.

"And when," she asked in a skeptical tone. "_is _the right time?"

"I don't know!" Naruto replied, looking completely harried.

Anko sighed again and shook her head.

"I don't think this is a good idea brat," she said at last. "But: I'll keep your secret. Is that why you wanted to talk out here? Is there anything else I need to know about?"

Naruto let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when Anko finally agreed to not tell the Old Man about Kurama.

"Yeah sensei," Naruto said with relief. "That's why I wanted to talk to you here. I didn't want _anyone _to overhear us. Also, my Shadow appeared to me last night..."

Anko's eyes widened in alarm and she grabbed Naruto by the arm.

"It did!?" She exclaimed. "Tell me _everything_!"

It took Naruto the better part of an hour to explain the visit from the shadow and his talk with Kurama the night before. When he finished, Anko stood up and ran a hand through her hair tiredly.

"This _isn't _good." She said with obvious worry in her voice. "I don't like that warning one bit."

_'Me neither.' _Naruto thought.

Anko fixed him with a pointed glare and shook her head again as she sighed.

"I still don't like the idea of keeping your knowledge of Kurama between the two of us," Anko continued, but upon seeing the worried look on Naruto's face quickly added: "But, I'll honor your wish. _BUT_!"

Naruto looked at her in rapt attention.

"We have to tell the Hokage about the Shadow's warning. No if's and's or but's about it!"

Naruto nodded in agreement.

Anko stretched and looked at the sky.

"It's about five in the afternoon, so the Hokage should be getting ready to go on break. If we hurry back to the village we might be able to get an audience with him."

Naruto nodded and began to prepare to head back when Anko said:

"And Naruto!"

Naruto wheeled around to face her to see that she had a genuine smile on her face.

"I'm really happy that you trusted me enough to tell me first."

Naruto blinked back a tear and gave Anko a genuine smile in return.

"Of course sensei!"

With that, teacher and student made their way towards the village to hopefully get an audience with the Hokage.

* * *

><p>Unknown to our two heroes, there was another figure who was listening to the entire conversation.<p>

"Lord Danzo will be eager to hear of this development." Said the shadowy figure as they quickly fled in the opposite direction to deliver their new-found information.

**AN: Come on, you all know you were waiting for Danzo to stick his mummified nose into the story! What will he do with the information his spy will give him? And how will the Hokage react to Naruto's news about his Shadow's warning? And what troubles are stewing in the Uchiha Compound? All this and more in the next chapter of The Fox's Shadow! R&R!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21:**

Danzo Shimura was a shrewd man. A contemporary of Hiruzen Sarutobi and a veteran of the last three Great Shinobi Wars, Danzo was just as capable of being selected to become the Third Fire Shadow of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. However: this did not come to pass. Instead, the Niidaime Hokage, Tobirama Senju had appointed his rival, Hiruzen Sarutobi to the post. This was Danzo's greatest shame and the source of his hatred towards the man who now sat at the seat of power and authority in the village.

This did not mean that Danzo was not loyal to his village however. In fact: he could be said to be the biggest advocate of the numerous agendas of the village, along with (in his own twisted opinion) the village's biggest patriot.

Danzo did all of the dirty work that Sarutobi simply refused to do. Assassinations of various insurgents in the village and Land of Fire, high-risk spying operations, kidnappings, extortion, even deeds that transcended the borders of Konoha's rightful jurisdiction. If Hiruzen was the light of the village, Danzo was his ultimate foil; the shadow of the village.

Danzo of course, did not accomplish all of these incredible feats by himself. In fact, the man rarely lifted a finger to do anything. Instead, he used his secret force of specially trained ninja, called Ne, or Root. They were the perfect soldiers. Obedient, ruthless, and efficient. If Danzo asked any one of them to lay down their lives for the village or his own sake, they would promptly do so. As it should be of all _proper _ninja.

Danzo sat at his desk in his dimly-lit office space in the cavernous underground lair he had made his own, and drummed his fingers on the desk in rapt contemplation. One of his many Root spies had just reported some intriguing information to him no less than a few moments ago, and the weight of what was told to him had his mind spinning with various thoughts.

The report concerned Konoha's resident Jinchuuriki: Naruto Uzumaki.

Danzo had tried fruitlessly for years to try and recruit the young boy into his program to train him to become a weapon for the village, but his obstinate rival Sarutobi would have none of it. The fool. Didn't he understand what kind of power Konoha could command if the boy was properly trained to be what he was _meant _to be from the beginning? Of course not!

Danzo shook his head in resignation at the foolishness his old rival consistently showed. The truth of the matter was that Konoha was weak. After the Kyuubi attack seven years ago, Sarutobi had put more effort into trying to cover up Konoha's weaknesses by increasing missions and appearances of Konoha shinobi to let the other Elemental Nations see that the loss of the Leaf's beloved Fourth Hokage had not crippled them; let alone the attack by the rampaging Kyuubi. Danzo believed at the time, it was all well and good. But he _only_ agreed as long as it was only a temporary thing, which it soon became apparent that it was not. Sarutobi had also allowed the Civilian Council to gain too much sway over the operations of the village's infrastructure, therefore decreasing his own authority to lead. This was what irked Danzo to no end. He absolutely despised the idea that simple minded civilians believed themselves capable of comprehending what a hidden village needed to survive! A hidden village needed power! They needed a weapon!

And Danzo knew this one fact: he _needed _to recruit Naruto Uzumaki into his ranks to put everything right.

And the question on the wily old man's mind was: _how_?

* * *

><p>Naruto and Anko made it to the Hokage Tower in record time, and bolted up the stairs to the Hokage's office.<p>

Kimiko was stationed at her desk outside, per usual, and stood up when she caught sight of them.

"The Hokage is busy right now! You can't-!"

"Shut the hell up!" Anko spat as she wheeled on Kimiko. "Why don't you file your nails or read a magazine, or something!?"

Kimiko's face flushed red in anger.

"W-Why you...!" She stammered, pointing a finger at Anko, who simply laughed.

"Unless you want that finger broken missy, you'll stop pointing at me like you can actually _do _something!"

The threat did its' job. Kimiko's face paled and she quickly averted both her pointing finger and eyes away from the Snake Mistress.

Naruto tried (and failed) to conceal his glee at Kimiko being taken down a peg.

"Sensei," Naruto sniggered. "We need to talk to the Old Man, remember?"

Anko nodded and turned away from Kimiko, who was shaking slightly where she stood. Anko wheeled around suddenly and jerked in her direction, making the secretary flinch, before turning around again and laughing.

'_What a sucker!'_

* * *

><p>Sarutobi sighed as he signed off yet another document. He hated the fact that his job involved so much paperwork! He had a good mind to just use a katon jutsu to simply torch the rest of his workload, so he could take a well-deserved nap, but then thought better of it. What he needed was a distraction from the monotony of signing papers.<p>

And, he got it in the form of Anko Mitarashi and Naruto Uzumaki entering into his office.

_ 'Thank Kami!' _Thought Sarutobi with a relieved sigh.

"Lord Hokage," Anko bumbled. "the brat and I have some information you'll want to hear!"

Sarutobi's eyebrows shot up in interest.

"Oh?" He asked curiously. "And just what might that be?"

Anko looked at Naruto solemnly and the young boy stepped forward nervously.

"Last night, my 'shadow' appeared to me and gave me a warning." Naruto said.

Sarutobi's eyes narrowed and he leaned forward in his chair, interest piqued.

_ "_And? What was the warning, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto looked at his sensei for assurance, only to receive a curt nod from Anko.

"It said: 'things are going to change very soon'. I don't know what it meant by that, but has anything been happening lately that seems off to you?"

Sarutobi sighed and leaned back in his chair wearily. Where to start? Firstly, there was the increased commotion in the Land of Rice just north of them. Apparently, uprisings by shinobi factions up there were causing quite the stir against the Daimyo of the country. Normally, this wouldn't be a cause for concern, but recently, the squabbles and fighting between the Rice shinobi factions and the Daimyo's forces had come dangerous close to the Land of Fire's borders, effectively _making_ it Konoha's business.

Secondly, (and more pressing in Sarutobi's opinion) was the growing unrest amongst the Uchiha Clan and the village. It had been going on for years, but a close informant of Sarutobi's had been giving him reports that the Uchiha might be planning an uprising. There wasn't any solid proof yet, but Sarutobi feared that if the problem couldn't be resolved soon, drastic measures might have to be taken.

But, Sarutobi _couldn't _tell them that. So instead, he simply replied:

"There's been a lot of things going on Naruto-kun, but nothing that strikes me as 'off', as you put it."

Naruto scowled, obviously skeptical of the Old Man's answer.

"My friend Sasuke says that there's something weird going on in his clan," Naruto began darkly. "You know, the Uchiha? That doesn't strike you as odd?"

Sarutobi demonstrated his years of experience by not even batting an eyelash at Naruto's remark.

"No," the aged Hokage answered promptly. "It does not."

Sarutobi turned to Anko with a solemn look.

"You know the drill Anko-chan," he said mysteriously. "We need to up Naruto's training in case this 'shadow' plans on making a move."

Anko nodded curtly.

Naruto folded his arms defiantly and bellowed:

"I'm right _here, _you know!"

Sarutobi looked over at Naruto and smiled slightly.

"I am aware of that, Naruto-kun," he offered apologetically. "What I mean to say is that _you_ must start training more often with Anko-chan. If the 'shadow' tries something like he did in the office with Anko-chan's shadow double, we need to make sure you can defend yourself in our absence."

Naruto huffed, but didn't argue the point.

"Now, why don't you go get something to eat while I talk to Anko-chan, Naruto-kun? It's on me!"

Sarutobi reached into his robes and withdrew a few ryo bills and set them on the desk. Naruto's eyes lit up and he quickly snatched the cash off of the desk and tucked it into his pocket.

"Thanks a lot, Old Man!" Naruto beamed. Naruto turned to look at Anko as if asking for permission to leave, which she gave, and the boy bolted out of the room singing about ramen.

When the door snapped closed, Sarutobi folded his hands and fixed Anko with a serious gaze.

"Tell me something Anko-chan," said Sarutobi solemnly. "Does Naruto know _why _this mysterious 'shadow' figure is after him?"

Anko almost flinched, but thanks to her years of training was able to mask it easily.

"Not that I know of sir, why?" She asked.

Sarutobi leaned back in his chair again and withdrew his pipe. After packing, and lighting it, he took a few puffs and replied:

"I've noticed that his chakra seems to be emitting a bit more of the Kyuubi's influence lately. Surely you've noticed?"

Anko nodded slowly. The truth was, she had noticed when she had first started to train the boy. At the time, she was certain that Naruto's tenant was simply starting to stir because the boy had begun to tap into his chakra reserves, but now that she knew the truth about the boy _knowing _about his tenant, she wasn't sure what Sarutobi was getting at by asking.

"I'm sorry sir," Anko answered in mild confusion. "I'm still not sure of what's got you concerned?"

Sarutobi puffed on his pipe and examined Anko a moment before answering.

"Simply put," Sarutobi began. "Naruto-kun will need to know about the Kyuubi soon. I do not want this 'shadow' to place false facts in his head about his status as a Jinchuuriki and what that means for him. If that were to happen, there is a good chance that the whole situation could spiral out of control."

Anko nodded in understanding.

"Furthermore," Sarutobi continued. "I am concerned with his relationship with his friend Sasuke of the Uchiha Clan. As you are aware things _have_ become strained between the Uchiha and the village. Naruto is an asset to the village and I do not want him to become conflicted if conflict were to break out between the clan and the village. Also, the Uchiha are extra wary of the boy anyways because of what he contains."

Anko's eyes narrowed at this revelation.

"What do you mean by that last part?" She asked, now genuinely confused.

Sarutobi got up from his chair and turned his back to Anko, as he looked out the office's large window at the village.

"This is an S-ranked secret that _cannot _leave this room, Anko."

With that, Sarutobi flashed through a series of handsigns that Anko recognized as a very complex silencing seal. There was a brief flash of blue light all around the room before it faded.

Sarutobi turned back around to look at Anko, who waited expectantly, but nodded that she understood the seriousness of what was about to be told to her.

"When the Kyuubi attacked seven years ago, The Fourth had suspicion to believe that the attack was not random. He told me that he believed it to be the work of Madara Uchiha, or at least someone masquerading as him."

Anko stumbled back a bit at the information. Madara Uchiha!?

"B-but," Anko stammered. "Madara Uchiha has been dead for ages!"

Sarutobi nodded gravely.

"That was what I thought as well," Sarutobi continued solemnly. "But, in this world of chakra and jutsu of all kinds, who can really say if a shinobi of his caliber could not discover a way to cheat death? Is it so impossible to believe?"

Anko had to think about that. It was true what the Old Man was saying, but it just seemed too far-fetched. Anko thought about her sensei, Orochimaru and the twisted experiments he conducted trying to find a jutsu to prolong his life, a jutsu to make him _immortal_. Suddenly, the idea that Madara Uchiha _might_ have discovereda way to survive his epic battle with the Shodaime Hokage didn't seem so incredible.

"Okay," Anko said uncertainly. "But I'm still not getting how the Uchiha's wariness of Naruto plays into this..."

Sarutobi sighed as he stroked his beard.

"_If _in fact, it _was _Madara Uchiha who orchestrated the Nine-Tails' attack on the village that fateful night, then you must understand what that would mean for the Uchiha Clan as a whole," Sarutobi explained, now pacing the room. "Many shinobi who survived the attack claim that they clearly saw what resembled the sharingan in the beast's eyes as it rampaged throughout the village!"

Anko's eyes widened.

"You mean to say that Madara was controlling Kur-, I mean; the Kyuubi with a genjutsu then?"

Anko was relieved that Sarutobi was so caught up in his own pondering that he didn't notice that she had almost referred to the Kyuubi as Kurama. That would've caused bedlam for both her and _especially _Naruto.

Sarutobi, who remained blissfully unaware of Anko's near slip, nodded.

"Indeed." He replied, still pacing. "Naturally, word of this has filtered into the village and now many look at the Uchiha with suspicion, as if they all were responsible for the attack somehow. Nothing can be proven, but I believe that this is one of the few reasons why there is unrest amongst the Uchiha Clan and their place in the village right now."

Anko could do nothing but nod. She had no idea how deep the connection between the going-ons of the village presently and the attack by the Kyuubi seven years ago was affecting things.

"I understand, sir," Anko said at last. "But, what is it that you want me to do then?"

Sarutobi stopped his pacing and returned to his desk, where he sat down in his chair.

"I want you to observe the behavior of Naruto's friend Sasuke when they are together," Sarutobi said simply. "I doubt that anyone in the Uchiha Clan would risk breaking my decree that forbids anyone with knowledge of Naruto-kun's burden from telling anyone who does not already know, but I digress: if there is a chance that Sasuke somehow _is _told, Naruto's safety might be endangered by contact with the young Uchiha..."

Sarutobi watched Anko for a moment more before adding:

"Naruto can't find out about his burden yet. It is essential that he does not."

Anko nodded, although she was sweating bullets on the inside.

'_Too late for that Old Man,' _she thought hopelessly. '_You're about a year too late for that, in fact!'_

Sarutobi pulled yet another document off of his large stack of paperwork and uncapped a pen.

"That is all, Anko-chan," Sarutobi said. "Please keep me updated if any new developments concerning Naruto occur."

"Yes sir!" Anko replied with a deep bow, and promptly left the office.

* * *

><p>Sarutobi groaned as he massaged his temples after his talk with Naruto and Anko. Why couldn't things ever be simple?<p>

It was bad enough that he had the Uchiha problem to deal with, not to mention the skirmishes from Rice that were dangerously close to encroaching Hi no Kuni territory, but now he had to deal with this cryptic warning! It was just too much!

Sarutobi thought of asking his long-time rival Danzo for help with the two problems, but quickly dismissed the notion. He did not approve of Danzo's methods, nor did he want the man dealing with something as sensitive as inter-village conflicts. Danzo was better suited for external threats to the village, where he couldn't do much real damage to the village as a whole.

There was a knock on the office door, and Sarutobi's head quickly shot up from his paperwork.

"Come in!" He commanded.

Sarutobi briefly wondered if it was Anko or Naruto coming back to tell him something more about the 'shadow' affair. He had a sinking feeling that the two of them were in on something that they refused to tell him about, but Sarutobi couldn't just point fingers left and right. He did not want to seem overly paranoid; he was the Hokage for Kami's sake!

The door opened, and Sarutobi decided to put his thoughts on the matter on hold.

Good thing too, because the figure who had appeared in his doorway was someone he didn't want asking questions about his suspicions.

"Good evening, Hiruzen." Said the voice of one Danzo Shimura, who hobbled into the office.

"Danzo." Replied Sarutobi with a frown.

Danzo made his way over to the desk and stood before Sarutobi with a smug expression.

"We have much to discuss concerning various topics," Danzo explained. "Most importantly: were you aware of Naruto Uzumaki's awareness of his status as a Jinchuuriki?"

Sarutobi's eyes widened, and then narrowed.

"Explain Danzo!" Sarutobi snapped in an icy tone.

"_NOW."_

**AN:**** Ooooh. You gotta hate Danzo, right? What's his plan to get Naruto? Find out next time...maybe. Muwahahaha! R&R!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22:**

Naruto swung his legs absentmindedly as he sat on a stool at Ichiraku picking at his second bowl of miso pork ramen. This was a rather strange occurrence to the Ichiraku's who watched the boy with mixed feelings of confusion and wariness.

"Is everything alright, Naruto-kun?" Asked Ayame tenderly.

Naruto looked up from his bowl and sighed forlornly.

"Yeah," he answered quietly. "I just have a lot on my mind Ayame-nee."

Ayame glanced at her father, Teuchi in concern. Teuchi just shrugged.

"If the boy says he's fine, he's fine Ayame-chan," said Teuchi as he stirred a pot of broth. "Sometimes a man just needs to be left alone to think!"

Ayame rolled her eyes at her father's machismo.

"Whatever Dad," she huffed.

Ayame turned back to Naruto who watched the proceedings between father and daughter with an amused expression on his face.

"If you ever need to talk Naruto-kun," Ayame said consolingly. "Know that I'll always be here, okay?"

Naruto nodded and shot Ayame a grateful grin as he began to eat again, feeling slightly better.

He felt bad that he worried the Ichiraku's with his brooding. He was beginning to act like Sasuke! And speaking of the duck-haired brooder, the very same boy suddenly appeared and took a seat on the stool next to Naruto's and exhaled a heavy sigh.

"Wassup?" Said Naruto, with a mouthful of noodles in his mouth. Sasuke regarded him with disgust.

"Seriously?" Sasuke asked in repulsion. "Chew your food and swallow before you talk to me, you dope!"

Naruto chuckled and swallowed his mouthful of delectable noodles in one go.

"My bad," Naruto said with a grin. "What's going on Sasuke? I thought you were supposed to be practicing kunai throwing with Itachi this evening?"

At the mention of Itachi's name, Sasuke's face darkened.

"Yeah," Sasuke replied scathingly. "I was _supposed _to do that, but Itachi-nii said that he couldn't today. He said he was _busy_."

Naruto stopped eating and looked at his friend with a sympathetic look. He knew all too well what it felt like to be blown off by someone.

"Well, look at it this way!" Naruto said cheerfully. Sasuke turned to look at him curiously. "We can hang out, then! We can go to a deserted training ground and practice! I'll even show you some of the stuff Anko-sensei's been teaching me!"

Sasuke's gloomy expression melted away into a happy smile.

"Yeah, okay. Sounds good!"

Naruto cheered and then grew serious as he faced his friend.

"I just need to finish another four bowls, and we can go!"

Sasuke deadpanned at his friend in return.

"Figures."

Naruto just laughed and continued to eat his ramen with renewed vigor.

* * *

><p>From her perch atop a nearby building, Anko smiled at the exchange between Naruto and Sasuke.<p>

"Humph," Anko muttered. "Looks like nothing's amiss so far with the Uchiha brat..."

"It would seem so." Said a new voice from behind Anko.

If it weren't for the fact that Anko sensed the newcomer's arrival, she would've promptly tossed a kunai right into the intruder's face.

"Nice of you to join me," added Anko with a smirk.

"Weasel."

The figure addressed as Weasel came into the dim light cast from the streetlamp below the building and nodded at Anko in greeting.

"Come to check up on your little brother, then?" Anko asked as she watched Naruto inhale a bowl of ramen with ill-disguised repulsion.

Weasel nodded silently and replied:

"Of course."

Anko turned to face Weasel and observed how run down he looked, even with his ANBU mask in place.

Weasel was none other than Sasuke's elder brother, the famed prodigy: Itachi Uchiha, who joined the ANBU core at the age of 11, and was currently a recently promoted ANBU Captain at the age of 13. He was quiet and aloof, but Anko knew him to be one of the most loyal shinobi of the Leaf she had ever known.

"I guess life as an ANBU Captain isn't all that it's made out to be, huh?" Anko asked with a smug smile.

She couldn't tell because of Itachi's mask covering his face, but she was sure that he was giving her a smile in return.

"Perhaps you're right," Itachi replied. "I've been rather busy the last few weeks..."

Anko knew not to press the subject, seeing that all ANBU missions were highly classified. Even if she was a Tokebetsu Jounin, she didn't even have clearance to discuss the matter.

"Oh well," Anko said, slapping the boy on the back. "Hang in there kiddo!"

Itachi shrugged her off and stood up.

"Keep an eye on my otouto Anko-san..." Itachi said as he made his way to the opposite side of the building and disappeared in a shunshin.

Anko watched the spot where Itachi had vanished for a few moments before replying in a whisper:

"I would even if you didn't ask me. He means a lot to Naruto, which makes him mean a lot to me."

* * *

><p>Naruto and Sasuke finally found an empty training ground and made their way into it. Upon arriving in the middle of the clearing, Sasuke folded his arms and looked at Naruto expectantly.<p>

"So," he said impatiently. "show me something cool, Naruto. Or are you just all talk?"

Naruto knew Sasuke was just teasing him, but the boy's smug attitude really pissed him off sometimes.

Reaching into his kunai pouch on his left leg, Naruto withdrew four kunai and sent them flying at a nearby tree, where they all converged into a single point, making a tightly packed diamond shape.

Naruto wiggled his eyebrows at Sasuke.

"Well...?" Naruto asked with a smug grin.

Sasuke blinked and rolled his eyes.

"That's pretty good," Sasuke admitted. "But Itachi-nii could do that easily!"

Naruto huffed and went over to the tree to retrieve his kunai.

"Yeah, well: Itachi's a freak of nature when it comes to throwing weapons!" Naruto retorted as he plucked a kunai from the bark of the tree. "I can't compare to him!"

Sasuke laughed and walked over to help.

"Neither can I to be honest," said Sasuke with a bit of bitterness as he ripped a kunai from the tree that was particularly stubborn about coming loose. "But I hope someday to surpass him!"

Once all of the kunai were out, Naruto turned to look at Sasuke, who was brooding (again).The two friends sat down against the trunk of the tree.

"So, did anything else happen in your clan when you went home after class today?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke was silent for a moment before he muttered:

"You know; the usual. Father and Itachi-nii are still at odds with each other, and everyone else seems to be in a grumpy mood. At least, the other adults are. Mother told me that nii-san and Father are both under a lot of stress right now, but I know that there's something more going on."

Naruto nodded, signaling for Sasuke to continue, which he did.

"I don't understand what's gotten into everyone in the clan," Sasuke sighed as he ran a hand through his jet-black hair. "Everyone seems so tense and moody!"

Naruto snickered.

"Maybe it's an Uchiha thing?"

Sasuke glared at Naruto, promptly shutting him up, although Naruto still managed to squeeze in a chuckle.

"I just wish things would go back to the way they used to be." Sasuke said quietly. "Before all this tension started. When Itachi had time to hang out with me..."

Naruto made an indignant face.

"What!?" He exclaimed. "I'm not good enough for you! I'm hurt!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Shut up dope," Sasuke replied. "You're my best friend. This is family I'm talking about. It's different."

Naruto's grin faded slightly and he looked at the ground bitterly.

"Well, I wouldn't know about all that..." Naruto whispered forlornly.

Sasuke seemed to realize that he hit a sore spot, and promptly changed the subject.

"Hey Naruto," Sasuke said, nudging his friend's shoulder. "Teach me how to do that throw you just did. I bet I can get it down faster than you!"

Naruto's grin came back just as quickly as it had faded and he shot Sasuke a look of challenge.

"Sure!" Naruto beamed. "But, I warn you: only the best ninja can make it work!"

Sasuke laughed and stood up, offering Naruto a hand up as he did so.

"So that means that you _can't _make it work, then."

Naruto puffed up his cheeks.

"That was a low blow, Sasuke."

The two friends laughed and began to practice in earnest, unaware of the third figure that watched them with a warm smile, only to flee into the shadows soon after.

* * *

><p>Danzo Shimura was in an excellent mood.<p>

After his talk with Sarutobi he felt as if things were finally working in his favor.

The old fool was completely caught unawares that Uzumaki knew about his tenant, and had conversed with the beast on numerous occasions. The look on Sarutobi's face as Danzo told him so was priceless. Now, Sarutobi would confront the young boy and their bond would become strained, just as Danzo planned. It would make approaching the boy that much easier.

The news that Naruto Uzumaki was aware of the Kyuubi was also a boon for Danzo. This meant that Sarutobi would need to find someway to begin training the boy in tapping into the Bijuu's power, something that only he (Danzo) could do. The fool would have no choice but to hand over Naruto to him, or risk the boy going out of control if the Kyuubi's power ever made its way to the surface. Essentially, the whole situation was a win-win for the mummified man.

Danzo nodded curtly at his two Root guards as he approached the door to his home. They said nothing as he passed them, as they should. Danzo trained them to only speak when spoken to, and not to engage in idle chit-chat. He had seen first hand what guards would turn into if they spent their time casually conversing. Konoha's two eternal chuunin: Izumo and Kotetsu were perfect examples of shinobi without proper discipline.

Closing and locking his door as he entered his home, Danzo made his way to his bedroom to retire for the night.

He had also discussed with Sarutobi about the looming threat of the Uchiha Clan's possible uprising, and the steps that should be taken to quell it. Sarutobi preached diplomacy, but Danzo expected as much. If _he _was in charge, he would simply strike the Uchiha down to remind them of their place: they were loyal shinobi of the village. No more no less, regardless of what gifts were afforded them by their kekkei genkai. He had quietly confirmed that if Sarutobi decided to let the Uchiha fester in their displeasure until they acted out, he would personally see to it that order was restored; diplomacy be damned.

Danzo was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the presence of an intruder until he was inside of his bedroom. He quickly withdrew a kunai and flung it at blinding speed in the direction of the chakra signature only to widen his visible eye in shock as his kunai was snatched out of the air like it was nothing.

"Now, now Danzo," said a raspy voice. "Is that anyway to greet someone?"

Danzo quickly schooled his surprise into a stoic expression and gathered himself.

"Who are you?" Danzo demanded. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call my guards in here to deal with you!"

The figure laughed coldly and stepped out of the shadows to reveal a figure cloaked in black robes, with a blank white mask. Danzo watched in awe as the figure turned the kunai that was thrown into dust.

Danzo was eerily reminded of his own Root shinobi when he gazed upon the mysterious figure's form, but quickly dismissed the thought. He knew from all of his years of experience how powerful this person was. They simply radiated power. That piqued his interest immensely. He would have to go about this exchange very carefully.

"You would be foolish to call your guards," answered the masked figure. "I can't be defeated by them. They would only die in their feeble attempt."

Danzo knew the figure wasn't bluffing. He also knew that he wasn't a match for this person. He wasn't sure Sarutobi himself could take them on in a head to head battle.

The figure took a seat on Danzo's bed casually, as if it owned the place.

"Gloomy home you got here Danzo," the figure said in a bored tone. "Ever think of brightening up the place?"

Danzo said nothing as he observed the figure. He braced himself and spoke once more:

"Who are you?"

The figure stopped it's observation of the room and fixed it's gaze on him.

"Who I am is not important." It said simply. "What I want however, is."

Danzo tried to reign in his irritation at being scorned and replied:

"What is it that you want, then?"

The figure stood up from the bed and began to pace around the room leisurely.

"I want you to stop your foolish pursuit of my quarry." The figure said. "I believe you know of whom I speak of."

Danzo clenched his jaw in anger. Who did this person think they were?!

"You are talking about the Jinchuuriki." Danzo growled lowly.

The figure stopped and nodded.

"Indeed," it said. "I know you Danzo Shimura. I know what drives you, what you wish for with all of your very being. I do not hold any of that against you, but..."

Danzo's eye widened as he was lifted off the ground, a skeletal hand grasping him around the throat.

"**I am the **_**only **_**person who will have Naruto Uzumaki. He is mine to pursue **_**and **_**capture. If you interfere with this, you will be removed! Do you understand?"**

Danzo couldn't be sure if his lack of breath was coming from the fact that it was being choked out of him or if it was a result of the overwhelming killing intent flooding from the masked figure before him.

"I-I understand..." Choked out Danzo weakly.

The skeletal hand dropped him unceremoniously to the floor, where he landed in a heap.

"Good." Was all the masked figure said.

There was silence, only permeated by the scuffling sounds made as Danzo clambered to his feet awkwardly.

The figure turned to fix it's gaze on him once more.

"Also," it added. "Drop any ideas you might have about the Uchiha problem. I'm currently taking care of things in that sector as well. Interfere with that, and I will kill you and your 'Root' faster than you can plot another one of your feeble schemes..."

Danzo's visible eye widened again. Just who was this person!?

"Your surprise speaks volumes," commented the figure with a cruel chuckle. "Farewell, Danzo Shimura. Pray that we do not meet again."

And with a swirl of shadow, the masked figure vanished from the room, leaving a panting Danzo in it's wake.

* * *

><p>Danzo's two Root guards quickly barged into the room and quickly ran to their master's aid.<p>

"Lord Danzo," said the Root shinobi on the right of him. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Danzo waved the two guards off as he slowly collected himself.

His carefully laid plans were all but ruined, simply by one person's interference. Of course, Danzo could easily continue trying to make them work, but something in the masked figure's warning made him positive that continuing on his current course would end in disaster. He needed a new plan. New_plans._ Plans that would take the mysterious stranger's place on the playing field into account. First, he needed to find the common denominator between the two of their agendas. He found the answer to be blatantly obvious:

Naruto Uzumaki.

Yes, all of this somehow revolved around the young Uzumaki. For one reason or another, the masked figure was immensely interested in the boy. Whether or not it was for the same reasons as him was suspect, but there was no denying that the boy was key. Danzo needed someway to keep tabs on him.

Placing a Root spy to tail the boy was out. Now that the insufferable fool Sarutobi was made aware that Uzumaki knew of the Kyuubi sealed within him, the boy would have ANBU guards tailing him now anyways. Not to mention the boy's accursed sensei: Anko Mitarashi would most likely be shadowing him to make sure he was safe. No, Danzo needed a more subtle option, a way to watch the boy without arousing suspicion...

And then, an idea struck him.

Danzo turned to his two guards.

"How many of our operatives are young enough to masquerade as an Academy student?" Danzo asked the two.

The two guards looked at one another for a moment before the one on the left replied:

"There are only two that fit your query, My Lord. Although..."

Danzo's eye narrowed.

"Although, what?" He hissed dangerously.

The other guard spoke up in his partner's hesitance.

"One of them is currently _indisposed_ as of the moment, My Lord."

Danzo nodded. He knew who the two guards were talking about,.

"Send word to the other one then that I have a long-term mission for them. It is of the utmost importance. Go!"

The two shinobi vanished via shunshin, leaving Danzo alone in his bedroom with his thoughts.

Danzo made his way to his bed and sat down.

"I'll need to be extra careful from now on concerning the boy," Danzo whispered to himself. "Especially now that he has so many eyes watching out for him..."

Danzo smirked crookedly and chuckled.

"Let the chase begin, I suppose."

* * *

><p>Their home was lost to them, there was nothing else for it. Join the new cause, or flee: that was their only option at the time. So naturally, they took what they could carry on their persons and fled.<p>

The flight from their ancestral home was not easy. Their pursuers were relentless and brutal. Already almost all of their kinsman were dead, or captured. But there was no time for mourning, there was only time for escape.

So on they fled, to the south, where they would be free from their captors, and would-be executioners if they resisted.

But, it was difficult. They had so little time to stop to eat and drink, and their supplies was laughable. Every time they thought they were in the clear to lay down to rest, they were forced to get up and start running again. The situation was quickly becoming hopeless. But they would not give up after coming so far.

* * *

><p>After what seemed like hours of running, they stopped at large waterfall flanked on either side by two colossal statues of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. The Valley of the End. They had made it to the border at last!<p>

The two of them sat down on the bank of the river, eager to catch their breath, but aware that they might have to move again at any moment.

They were one man and a young girl. The man was large and stocky, with dark brown hair that hung down to his shoulders, and gray eyes. He had a pronounced scar that ran down the left side of his face, giving him a frightening visage. He was donned in simple clothing: a gray tunic, with mesh armor underneath, black pants and matching sandals. He carried a large zanbatou on his back that was ornately decorated along it's blade with depictions of dragons spewing flames.

The young girl had fiery orange hair that hung down to her mid-back, and wore a blue cap on her head. Her eyes were the same shade of gray as the man's. She wore a similar outfit to the man's as well, minus the zanbatou strapped to his back. In place of that she had two kunai pouches strapped to either side of her legs.

Both looked completely exhausted and defeated.

The man turned to the younger girl and smiled tiredly.

"We're almost there my daughter," he huffed. "All we have to do is cross this river, and we'll be free!"

The young girl beamed at her father in obvious relief.

"Good," she replied. "Anywhere is better than where we left from..."

There was a look of sadness that crossed the man's face as his daughter said this, and he looked at the ground.

"Our home used to be a beautiful place daughter," he sighed, as he tossed a pebble on the bank into the raging river. "At least, it was until_he _showed up..."

The young girl frowned as she noticed how stricken with pain her father looked as he said that, and regretted her earlier comment.

"I'm sorry, Father," the girl began. "It's just that-"

"THERE THEY ARE!" Cried a shrill voice. "BY THE RIVER! DON'T LET THEM CROSS!"

The man shot up with surprising agility and yanked his daughter to her feet.

"Climb on my back and hold on tight!" He commanded. "We have to cross the river, now!"

The girl nodded in fright and quickly hopped onto her father's back, and the two of them made for the raging waters of the river before them.

Several shuriken and kunai shot out from behind them, narrowly missing the duo as they made their way onto the river, the man using chakra to walk across the tempestuous water's surface.

They were about halfway across when another volley of kunai and shuriken flew at them, and several found their mark on the man's body, and he fell to one knee.

"FATHER!" cried the girl in horror.

The man staggered up to his feet and continued to trudge across the river, albeit more slowly.

Suddenly a voice called out to them.

"Give it up, old man!" it cried.

A group of shinobi stepped out from the woods where the man and his daughter had just been sitting, weapons raised. They all wore similar outfits: ragged cloaks, with face-masks covering their lower faces. They all exuded the same aura of malice and satisfaction that they had finally caught up to and cornered their quarry at last.

The person who had spoken, stood on the bank of the river, arms crossed.

"Give it up right now, and we won't kill you and your daughter!" He bellowed.

The man and his daughter paid them no heed and continued to trek across the roaring river.

The masked assailant growled in anger at his command being ignored.

"FINE! DIE THEN!" He roared as he ordered his men to ready their weapons for a third, and lethal volley.

"Father!" Cried the young girl. "Please, you're injured! We have to turn back!"

The man was obviously on his last dregs of energy, but he had a fire in his eyes that refused to dim just yet.

"No, my daughter," he yelled, over the sound of the rushing water. "I promised you that we would be free! And if I have to die to ensure that you_never _have to go back to the hell that we escaped from so be it!"

With a mighty grunt of effort, the man adjusted his daughter from his back into his arms and prepared to toss her to the other side of the river, knowing that once she landed on the soil, she would be safe from their pursuers for good. The fools wouldn't dare cross into foreign soil.

The young girl struggled in her father's grasp to no avail, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"No!" She cried. "You can't Father! Please! Come with me!"

The shinobi on the other side of the river waited for their orders.

"FIRE!" hollered the lead shinobi, and the hunters threw their kunai with deadly precision right into the back of the man, who fell to both knees in pain.

"FATHER!" The girl screamed.

The man grinned, with blood dripping down from his mouth in copious amounts and hefted the young girl and tossed her, where she landed in a heap, but uninjured on the other bank opposite the pursuing shinobi.

"Live my daughter!" The man cried, tears of his own running down his cheeks as he began to slowly sink into the water. His chakra was fading, and he did not have enough left to sustain his balance on the surface of the river. "Live and rebuild or once proud clan! Live a full, free life! And know this!"

The girl wiped her eyes as she watched the last member of her family, her father whom she had loved with all of her heart, speak his final words.

"Know that, I love you! Now and always!"

With his final message said, the man allowed himself to sink fully into the rushing waters of the river. It was all the young girl could do not to jump in after him to try and save him, but even as the thought crossed her anguished mind, she knew that he was gone. Gone forever.

The lead shinobi on the other bank of the river held up a hand to stop his men from going after the girl, as some of them were already starting across the water.

"Stop!" He commanded. "That's foreign soil. As much as I hate to admit it, the old man was right. The girl is safe..._for now_."

The other shinobi looked from their leader to the girl and quickly jumped back to the side of the river from whence they came.

"But know this _girl,_" snarled the lead shinobi. "I'm _letting_ you live. I could simply have my men throw a kunai right between your eyes and snuff out your insignificant life just like your foolish fathers..."

The girl's tear-filled eyes gleamed with hatred.

"But, chances are the shinobi on your side will kill you anyway," he continued with a cold chuckle. "Be grateful brat! And hear the name of your pathetic father's hunter and your savior: Onigumo!

And with that, all of the shinobi and Onigumo himself, vanished in a burst of speed, back into the forest.

* * *

><p>The young girl dragged herself through the forest several hours later, hungry, tired, and grief-stricken. She had lost everything dear to her, and the only thing she had to show for it was the fact that she was alive and free from her pursuers.<p>

She would've been content to perish with her father back at the river, simply because she couldn't stand being alone. She felt so hollow. The only things she felt at the moment were sorrow, and anger. Anger that was slowly coalescing into pure hatred. Hatred for the man that pursued her and her father across their homeland, and who took her father away from her, when they were both so close to freedom.

Onigumo.

She swore that if she ever ran into that man again, she would kill him. She would see him suffer a fate worse than death.

She stumbled on a tree root and tumbled onto the ground, not even bothering to pick herself up and continue walking. She simply lay there, too exhausted to move, too exhausted to care about moving forward. Fat tears ran down her cheeks, soaking the forest soil as she wept for her father, wept for the fact that she had no idea what to do or where to go now.

* * *

><p>She had no idea how long she laid on the ground until she heard voices in the distance, and wearily picked her head up to try and ascertain where they were coming from.<p>

Then she saw them. A group of shinobi, which made her flinch. She soon relaxed when they came into better focus. They did not seem to be anything like the shinobi that had chased her earlier, and for some reason she felt completely at ease with their increasing proximity.

She placed her head back on the ground and feigned sleep. Perhaps they would think she was dead? A naive thought, but she didn't think she had the strength to stand up anymore nor think of a more fleshed out idea.

Finally, she heard the sound of muffled footsteps as the squad of shinobi stopped and examined her. She felt someone feel her neck for a pulse, and upon confirming that she was still alive, holler something at another shinobi nearby. She felt her body being picked up gingerly, and felt the weightlessness that she associated with high-speed travel. They must be tree-hopping then.

As she began to drift off, from exhaustion, she could hear snippets of the shinobi's conversation.

"Where do you think she came from?" One asked.

"Probably a refugee from the north. Things have been getting real ugly up there lately." Another replied.

"What should we do with her? It's obvious that she needs medical attention. Should we find a nearby village to drop her off?" Yet another voice questioned, this one female.

"No," answered another voice. This one was male, and much deeper than the others. "She has kunai pouches on her. She must be a shinobi-in-training who fled from the north. I say we take her back to the village and let the Hokage decide what to do with her."

The young girl's head was swimming with questions as she began to nod off.

_'Where are they taking me?' _She wondered. _'Who is the Hokage?'_

She got her answer from the female voice who replied curtly:

"Fine then. Let's head back to Konoha."

**AN:**** Wooo! A whole lot of developments packed into one chapter! And once again friends, the Shadow appears to tell Danzo off. I loved writing that part. Hahaha. Plans are being made, and a time-bomb in the form of the Shadow is slowly counting down. By the way, just to end the questions: Obito is NOT the Shadow, nor is the Shadow an Uchiha, so keep guessing folks. He's not an OC either. Tune in next time! R&R! Afroman007 out!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23:**

Deep within the forests of Hi no Kuni a figure materialized as if out of thin air, and promptly fell to one knee, panting heavily. Just as suddenly, a second figure materialized, in the form of a humanoid shadow, that promptly knelt down to the side of the exhausted figure.

"Master," said the apparition. "Are you alright?"

The figure stood up shakily and waved the shadow off dismissively.

"I...I am tired," was the figure's reply. The figure reached up and removed the blank white mask it used to conceal its' identity. The subservient shadow nearby said nothing as it watched it's master place a skeletal hand upon their forehead and sigh.

"It will take some time for me to recover enough energy to interfere with Konoha, and resume my plans for Naruto Uzumaki..."

The figure turned to his shadowy servant and scowled.

"Can you please change into something that's not an eyesore to look at? I've been traveling via shadow all day, I don't want to look at another one for a while!"

The shadow chuckled with mirth and replied:

"But of course, Master," it hissed. "But as of the moment, I only have the chakra that I stole from that woman, so I'll have to assume her form..."

The figure waved a hand dismissively.

"I don't care; do it."

The shadow began to reconfigure and elongate until in it's former place stood the likeness of Anko Mitarashi.

"Is this better, Master?" Shadow-Anko purred seductively, striking a pose.

The figure said nothing as it strode over to a nearby rock and sat against it, breathing deeply.

"Is everything in place for our most recent plan?" The figure asked.

Shadow-Anko made a pouting face, but answered:

"But of course, Master," she replied. "I haven't ever let you down before, have I?"

The figure laughed.

"This is true," it laughed. "You have been most faithful and efficient."

Shadow-Anko took a mock bow at the praise.

"Things are going to change, as our friends in Konoha will soon see," the figure said darkly. "I wonder how Naruto-kun will react to our little 'gift'..."

Shadow-Anko's eyes glinted with ill-disguised mirth.

"Indeed," she replied. "It will be most interesting, Master!"

The figure took a long breath and stood up, placing it's mask back on as it did so.

"Let's move on," it said. "We have other plans to put into motion. I will have to recover for a time, but the time to strike is coming soon..."

And with that, Shadow-Anko morphed back into a shadowy apparition, and the masked figure and shadow servant disappeared in a swirl of darkness.

* * *

><p>Sarutobi sat in his office, head on his desk in complete exhaustion. There was simply too much going on currently for him to handle. Just when he thought nothing could surprise him further: his rival Danzo had imparted the knowledge that Naruto Uzumaki was aware of his burden. As if that wasn't enough, his inside agent spying on the Uchiha Clan had reported some <em>very <em>troubling news. And to top it all off, a squad that was stationed in the northern sector of Hi no Kuni reported back with a most interesting report.

While doing border patrol, they had stumbled upon a young kunoichi-in-training, most likely a fleeing refugee from the Land of Rice, and brought her back to the village. The girl was currently resting in the hospital, so Sarutobi would have to wait to question her to decide what to do with her.

It was all giving Sarutobi one massive headache, and he didn't think he could handle any more bad news. He thought about the warning Naruto's shadow had given the young boy: 'Things will be changing very soon'. Was this what he meant?

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and in came two people Sarutobi was hoping to avoid: his old teammates, now his advisors as Hokage: Homura Mitakado and Koharu Utatane.

Homura had gray hair, a beard, and glasses that covered sharp, intelligent dark eyes. The man always had a constant frown on his face, as if nothing in the world could ever make him smile. It was probably true. The man could look at a picture book of kittens playing and still frown. He was garbed in similar robes as Sarutobi. Homura was stern, calculating, and straight-forward, but always had the village's best interests at heart: even if Sarutobi disagreed with him often.

Koharu also had gray hair, that was pulled back into a bun that was fastened with two hairpins. She always squinted her eyes, which made Sarutobi wonder if she frequently ran into walls. She was also donned in the same clothing as her counterpart, Homura. Koharu used to be very vibrant and full of life, but after the attack by the Nine-Tails she took to a more reserved and catty demeanor, which Sarutobi detested.

The two advisors walked into the office and took seats in front of Sarutobi's desk.

Sarutobi locked eyes with them and mentally prepared himself for the diatribe that was surely coming in: three, two...

"Hiruzen!" barked Koharu. "We need to talk!"

Sarutobi blinked. He didn't even get to one!

"About what exactly, Koharu," Sarutobi replied lazily. "As you very well know, there are many things to talk about these days. Such as the weather, and whether Gai will finally break Kakashi winning streak in their annual challenges..."

"Be serious, Hiruzen!" added Homura, who looked at him sharply.

Sarutobi sighed, adjusted his hat, and folded his hands on the desk.

"Very well," Sarutobi said. "What is it?"

Koharu huffed indignantly.

"What do you plan to do about the Uchiha?! The situation is spiraling out of control! Fugaku-dono refuses to meet with you anymore, and we fear that this 'rebellion' of theirs could happen any day now!"

Homura nodded his agreement. Sarutobi leaned back in his chair.

"I am aware of the severity of the situation you two," Sarutobi explained. "But, I will not resort to force unless the Uchiha do something to merit it..."

"Then you are simply going to let them rebel!?" Shouted Koharu in outrage.

Sarutobi shook his head and glared at her, making her shrink back a bit.

"I have ANBU stationed around the Uchiha District," Sarutobi continued. "If they so much as lift a kunai against us, my ANBU are ordered to detain any aggressors."

Koharu calmed down after hearing this, and Homura spoke up next.

"That is good, Hiruzen," he replied flatly. "But what if the Uchiha stage an attack in the village proper? You can't possibly have the ANBU tail each Uchiha individually!"

Sarutobi nodded his understanding at Homura's point.

"That is true," Sarutobi answered. "But, my informant: Weasel, has been giving me bi-daily updates about the Uchiha Clan's behavior. Not to mention, he is currently watching the more troublesome members of the clan very carefully. We will know if the Uchiha plan to move before they actually do."

Both advisors visibly relaxed at Sarutobi's point. Shortly after, Koharu leaned forward.

"We should still advise all shinobi to be on alert. It's better to be safe than sorry, Hiruzen."

Sarutobi sighed and shook his head again.

"I believe doing that would only tip the Uchiha off that we're on to them." he argued. "I _will_ inform jounin that I trust, if that will suffice?"

Both advisors looked uncertainly at one another before they nodded.

"Very good." finished Sarutobi. "Is there anything else?"

Homura cleared his throat before speaking.

"What is the status of the refugee girl in the hospital? Has she awoken yet?"

Sarutobi shook his head.

"Not yet," he replied. "I'm to be alerted the moment she does."

Homura nodded and stood up, Koharu following after, albeit hesitantly. Sarutobi assumed that the old woman still wanted to grill him about the Uchiha matter.

"We expect to be told what you plan to do if things devolve further with the Uchiha Clan, Hiruzen." Homura said sternly. "After all, it does concern the village..."

Sarutobi nodded, as the the two advisors made their way towards the door.

When their backs were turned, Sarutobi let out a sigh of relief.

'_That wasn't as irritating as I thought it would be!' _He thought.

Suddenly, Koharu wheeled around, and Sarutobi quickly schooled his relieved expression.

"Yes, Koharu?" Sarutobi asked impassively.

The woman marched over to his desk and placed both hands on it, scowling deeply.

"I just remembered..." Koharu began in a dark tone, which made Sarutobi begin to panic internally. He prayed that she wasn't about to bring up what he thought she was.

"Danzo told us some interesting news about our resident Jinchuuriki..."

Sarutobi scowled back.

'_Kami-damn you, Danzo!' _He cursed mentatally.

Sarutobi stood up as well and slammed his hands on his desk, momentarily startling both advisors.

"Our 'Jinchuuriki' has a _name_," Sarutobi snarled dangerously. "It's Naruto Uzumaki. I will not have him referred to like some inanimate object or beast!"

Koharu took a moment to get over her shock at being yelled at and continued, albeit in a more subdued tone:

"Danzo tells us that Uzumaki-san has been aware of his status for over a year now! Did you know this? If so, why did you not think it prudent to inform us? This is a matter of village security!"

Sarutobi clenched his jaw in irritation. If he saw Danzo again, he was going to kick that old fossil so hard in the...

"Well, Hiruzen?" Interrupted Homura, who was regarding him expectantly.

Sarutobi sighed and sat back down in his chair.

"I was also unaware of this matter until Danzo told me," Sarutobi explained, somewhat bitterly. "How he discovered this: I do not know, but I will have to have Naruto-kun watched more closely..."

Koharu sniffed indignantly.

"You propose to just have the boy watched?!" She spat. "Hiruzen! For all we know: the Kyuubi could be influencing him! For all we know: it might try and break free, or even attempt to take over the boy!"

Hiruzen shot to his feet and unleashed a powerful wave of killing intent that sent the two advisors to their knees.

"LISTEN HERE!" He hissed in outrage. "WEREN'T YOU TWO NINJA?! WERE YOU NOT ON MY SQUAD WITH ME AS CHILDREN!? SURELY, _SURELY _YOU ARE WELL-VERSED IN FUUINJUTSU! YOU KNOW JUST AS WELL AS I DO THAT THE FOURTH MADE NARUTO'S SEAL IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE NONSENSE YOU ARE SPEWING CAN _NOT _HAPPEN!"

Homura, who was beginning to sweat from the sheer intensity of Sarutobi's KI stammered:

"B-but, Hiruzen...W-we can't take a risk of the d-demon getting any kind of sway over the boy! Y-you must...!"

Sarutobi increased the amount of killing intent he was emitting, and Homura quickly shut up.

"I MUST!?" Sarutobi roared. Even Sarutobi's hidden ANBU guards shook in their camouflaged positions from his rage. They had never seen their leader so angry. "_ I_ AM HOKAGE OF THIS VILLAGE: WHERE AS _YOU_ ARE NOT! I WILL DECIDE HOW TO PROCEED WITH HOW IT IS RUN! NOW GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I MAKE YOU TWO LEAVE!"

The two advisors did not need any more incentive. They quickly scrambled to their feet, and hobbled out of the room as fast as they possibly could.

Sarutobi cut of his KI and took a series of steadying breaths before sitting down in his chair.

"Um," said Boar, one of Sarutobi's ANBU guards from his hidden location near the bookcase. "Are you alright, sir?"

Sarutobi sighed and began to pack his pipe.

"Yes, I am now," he said. "Thank you, Boar."

The fact of the matter however, was that Sarutobi was far from alright. He had yet to meet and talk with Naruto about his knowledge of the Kyuubi. He had told Anko just yesterday that it was imperative that Naruto not know about his burden yet, only to find out later that the boy already knew! It was maddening! What hurt him more was the fact that Naruto didn't come to him when he found out. It made him worry. He had not wanted Naruto to find out about his status as a Jinchuuriki from anyone other than him. It also raised the question of _how _the boy found out.

Sarutobi took another deep breath and sighed. He would have to wait and ask Naruto all of these things when he got a chance. With the Uchiha problem becoming more prominent however, he wasn't sure of when that would be.

He was shaken out of his thoughts when his door was suddenly thrown open, to reveal Kimiko, who looked anxious.

"Lord Hokage!" Kimiko stammered. "The hospital just contacted me! The girl is awake now!"

Sarutobi's eyes widened and he quickly got up from his desk and began to stride over to her.

"Cancel my morning appointments, Kimiko-chan." he said.

Kimiko nodded and stood aside so Sarutobi could walk out the office door.

Sarutobi quickly made his way out of the Hokage Tower and towards the hospital, curiosity brimming at what he would find out from the young girl who he was currently heading to meet with.

* * *

><p>Curiosity was the <em>last <em>thing on the mind of one Naruto Uzumaki as he sat in his class at the Academy. Iruka was giving a lesson on ninja tactics (again), and Naruto just couldn't be bothered to listen. He had covered almost all of what Iruka was lecturing on with Anko-sensei ages ago!

He sighed despondently. Why couldn't they just start doing practical ninja exercises, instead of all of this boring academic work? Naruto was positive that in the history of shinobi there was never a battle where the outcome was decided by who got the highest marks on a test!

He glanced over at Sasuke, who was diligently paying attention.

'_Suck up.' _Naruto thought irritably. Sasuke knew just as much, if not a tad less than he did about the subject, but there he was: paying attention like it actually mattered!

"NARUTO!" shouted Iruka, snapping the boy out of his thoughts.

Naruto turned his head to face his sensei.

"Are you even listening?" Iruka continued.

When Iruka saw Naruto nod, he smirked.

"What are we talking about then?" he asked.

Naruto quickly glanced at Sasuke who stared back at him. Sasuke mouthed an answer for Naruto to give, and Naruto gave Sasuke a subtle thumbs-up in thanks.

"We're talking about tactics?" Naruto replied as confidently as he could.

The whole class burst out in laughter, Kiba being the most obnoxious about it, and Naruto looked around in confusion. Was he wrong?

Iruka sighed and shook his head.

"We _are _talking about tactics, in general," he admonished. "But I meant which particular one. You'd know if you would pay attention! I suggest you do so, Naruto!"

"Yeah, idiot!" Added Kiba, who turned around in his seat a few tables down and laughed.

Naruto growled at him and Kiba simply gave him a smug look in response. Iruka ordered the class to settle down and went back to his lecture.

Naruto wheeled on Sasuke and hissed:

"Hey, thanks a lot you prick!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"That's what you get for not paying attention, dope."

Naruto mumbled some choice curses at Sasuke and focused his attention on Iruka, who was now telling the class about diversionary tactics. Yet another thing Naruto was already well-versed in.

Naruto made sure to look like he was paying attention this time as he went back to his own thoughts.

Yesterday at the training field, Naruto and Sasuke's training was cut short when Itachi showed up and told Sasuke that he needed to come home. Sasuke had been stubborn at first, but the look in Itachi's eyes when he had said it left no room for argument, and he promptly followed his brother, leaving Naruto alone and confused.

He wasn't sure what the whole situation was about, but he assumed it couldn't have been all that bad, seeing that Sasuke didn't look troubled by anything today. He wanted to ask his friend about it, but didn't want to seem like he was prying too much into his business. He decided that he wouldn't say anything to Sasuke unless he brought it up first.

Everything was just becoming so muddled all of a sudden in Naruto's life. Before his 'shadow' came along things were so much simpler, albeit more depressing and lonely. He didn't regret anything that had happened to him lately, in fact; he wouldn't trade it for all the ramen in the world! But he didn't know what he was supposed to do now. He wanted to do something to help Sasuke and his family , he just didn't know what he _could_ do. He also wanted to figure out what his shadow meant when he said that things were going to change...

That was really driving Naruto crazy. Things changed all the time! However, Naruto knew that his shadow must be talking about a big change, something that would be really obvious. Also, the shadow had said 'soon'. That meant whatever was going to happen would happen, or _could _happen anytime now. That made him nervous. For all he knew, the change could be happening while he sat where he was thinking about it!

Naruto ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He looked up to see Iruka glaring at him again.

"What? I'm paying attention!" Naruto shouted.

Iruka shook his head and pointed at the classroom, where the other students were getting up to break for lunch. Naruto flushed pink in embarrassment, and turned when he heard chuckling from nearby.

He looked over to see Sasuke, who was standing up, rolling his eyes.

"I thought it would be funny to see how long you were going to sit there and brood for." Sasuke informed him.

Naruto sneered.

"Oh, that's really funny coming from the King of Brooders!" Naruto retorted.

Sasuke shrugged and began to make his way down the stairs of the classroom towards the door. He started to walk faster as he noticed that he was, as usual, being closely followed by his horde of fangirls.

Naruto chuckled.

"Serves you right," he called after him. "That's what you get for telling me the wrong answer!"

* * *

><p>Naruto sat on a tree-branch giving him a great view of the Academy's lawn, where the students ate lunch. He had packed his own lunch, which he had gotten used to doing, and ate a sandwich as he watched Sasuke try to shrug off yet another love-struck girl. He chuckled as he took a bite from his food.<p>

His observation of Sasuke's predicament was interrupted when he heard someone call his name.

"Hey Naruto!"

Naruto glanced down to see Kiba, standing below the tree, arms crossed, and with a cocky smirk on his face.

Naruto sighed.

"What do you want, Kiba?" Naruto asked tiredly.

Kiba just grinned wider.

"Come down here and I'll tell you!"

Naruto rolled his eyes and went back to eating his sandwich.

Ever since their first day at the Academy, Kiba insisted on trying to prove that he was the 'Alpha-Male' as he described it. That meant anyone he thought could pose a threat to his claim on the title had to be shown their place, and for some reason, Naruto was on his list. Kiba had tried to do this with Sasuke, and the Uchiha had beaten him soundly. So, since Kiba couldn't topple Sasuke yet, he put all of his effort into trying to pick fights with Naruto, who promptly refused. Anko had told him that he wasn't allowed to fight anyone unless it was part of a class. Which really sucked. Naruto would've loved to knock Kiba down a peg or two, but he'd rather put up with Kiba's incessant antagonism over getting in trouble with his sensei.

"Hey!" barked Kiba. "Don't ignore me, loser!"

Naruto continued to eat, feigning obliviousness of Kiba's shouts.

Kiba attempted to climb the tree, but couldn't figure out a way to scale it.

"How'd you even get up there, anyway!?" Kiba asked in bewilderment. "What are you? Some kind of monkey!?"

Naruto continued to ignore Kiba, but couldn't suppress a smirk at the boy's comment.

The fact of the matter was, Naruto had scaled the tree using a chakra exercise he had just recently gotten down from Anko. She had called it: The Tree-Climbing Technique. What the practitioner had to do was focus a fixed amount of chakra to their feet, and use that to scale the tree. If the chakra was too weak, you'd lose your footing on the surface and fall off, if it was too strong (which was Naruto's major problem at first) the user would be pushed off from the tree, creating a fracture on the surface around the point of contact.

Naruto was told by Anko that because of Kurama and his own large chakra reserves, he would have a lot of trouble learning the technique. And she was right. It took Naruto the better part of a month and a half to get it. Naruto was ecstatic when he finally got it down, as it was the first real ninja technique he had learned. Anko had also sweetened his victory by informing him that the Tree-Climbing Technique was something that Academy students didn't usually learn until they were full-fledged genin! Just the mere fact that Naruto, who was only seven, had learned it put him leaps and bounds beyond his classmates.

And if that wasn't great enough, Naruto found that it could be utilized to escape people who irritated him. Case and point: Kiba.

Speaking of the feral boy, he continued to hurl insults and challenges at Naruto for another few minutes before he got bored and stalked away, probably to go pick a fight with someone else.

Seeing that the coast was clear, Naruto gathered up his garbage, and casually walked down the tree, and hopped to the ground.

"Wow!" Said a voice. "That was pretty impressive!"

Naruto turned to see Ino Yamanaka, in all her glory, smiling at him.

Naruto groaned internally. While he had nothing against the girl, her personality was a bit too forward for him, and that was really saying something. When Naruto had told Sasuke this, Sasuke had retorted with something along the lines of: 'That's the kunai calling the ninjato sharp.'

Ino was usually chasing after Sasuke with the other girls, but sometimes she would come find Naruto and try and flirt with him. Naruto didn't know a thing about girls, but he definitely knew that he didn't want anything thing to do with their lovey-dovey nonsense. Gross.

"What's going on Ino?" Naruto said casually, trying not to make it look too obvious that he wasn't exactly eager to chit-chat.

Ino smiled and pointed at the tree.

"How did you do that Naruto?"

Naruto couldn't help but feel a bit smug when Ino asked him that. He grinned at her.

"My sensei, Anko showed me how to do it," Naruto explained. "It's called the Tree-Climbing Technique! Pretty cool, huh?"

Ino nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it is," she replied. "Don't you think so, Sakura?"

It wasn't until Ino said Sakura's name that Naruto was even aware the girl was present. Honestly, the girl could be such a wallflower!

Sakura stepped out from Ino's shadow and stared at the tree and then Naruto. Her brow furrowed in thought.

"Isn't the Tree-Climbing Technique a genin-level skill?" Sakura asked curiously. "Why do you know it, Naruto?"

Naruto told Sakura about Anko, which made her brow furrow even further.

"I overheard you mention a sensei before," Sakura mused. "But I never really thought much about it until now. Why _do _you already have a sensei?"

Naruto froze.

He wasn't sure how to explain his situation to his classmates. He obviously couldn't tell them about his 'shadow'. The Old Man and Anko had both told him that he wasn't to discuss the matter with anyone that wasn't already privy to the situation. Sakura was just too inquisitive for her own good.

Both girls looked at Naruto suspiciously.

"Well, you see...the thing is..." Naruto stammered, praying to Kami for some kind of deliverance from the now-awkward situation.

"Just drop it Sakura." Called the voice of Shikamaru Nara, who sauntered over with his friend Chouji Akimichi in tow. "Does it really matter that much?"

Sakura blinked and looked at Ino who retorted:

"Aren't you the least bit interested in it, Shikamaru?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Why does Naruto get a sensei?"

Shikamaru yawned.

"No I'm actually not interested at all." he shrugged. "What Naruto does is his own business. Stop being so troublesome."

Ino's eye twitched and she rounded on Naruto to demand to know why he had a sensei, only to find that the boy had vanished. She reversed to face Shikamaru again.

"Where'd he go!?" She shouted, pointing at Shikamaru who shrugged again.

"Beats me," Shikamaru drawled. "Come on Chouji, let's go watch clouds until the bell rings..."

Chouji, who had yet to say a word, as he was too busy munching on a bag of chips, waved cheerfully at the two girls and followed after his friend.

From his spot on the roof of the Academy, Naruto chuckled at his clever escape.

"How's that for diversionary tactics Iruka-sensei!"

* * *

><p>Sarutobi entered the hospital and made his way towards the nurse at the receptionist's desk. He stated his business to the bumbling nurse, who was obviously at a loss for words for addressing the leader of her village, and she directed him to the young girl's room.<p>

Upon entering, Sarutobi saw the girl, who was sitting up in her bed, looking out the window. She turned when he entered the room and narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.

Sarutobi held up his hands in a calming gesture.

"Relax, young one," he began kindly. "I'm not going to harm you."

The girl continued to watch him warily as he pulled up a chair and placed it at her bedside. Finally she replied:

"Who are you, then?"

Sarutobi chuckled.

"My name is Hiruzen Sarutobi," he answered calmly. "But most people refer to me by my title and position. I'm the Third Hokage of Konohagakure."

The girl blinked, and then her eyes grew wide.

"I remember hearing that name!" She gasped. "When those ninja were carrying me, I remember one of them saying something about the Hokage! So that's you? But you're an old man!"

Sarutobi threw his head back and laughed. He was taken aback by how blunt the girl was, but he found it somewhat charming.

"Indeed, I am old," Sarutobi chuckled. "But I'm still pretty powerful."

The girl smiled slightly and then frowned.

"Those ninja said that you were going to decide what to do with me..." She said warily. "You're not going to make me go back, are you?"

Sarutobi's eyebrows rose. This young girl must've been in the thick of things if her fear of returning to her home where any indication.

"Well now..." Sarutobi began uncertainly. "I'm sorry young one, do you think you could tell me your name?"

The girl blinked again, and then in a whisper replied:

"Sasame. Sasame of the Fuma Clan."

Sarutobi's eyebrows shot up. This girl was of the Fuma Clan? Even in Konoha, the Fuma Clan were well-known. They excelled in handling weapons of all kinds, particularly the Fuma shuriken, which is where the clan probably got their name. If this girl was one of them, why was she here? Shouldn't she be with her clansmen in the north?

"Sasame-chan," Sarutobi began genially. "May I ask how you ended up here?"

From the way Sasame's eyes darkened, Sarutobi could already sense that her story would be tragic. And tragic it was. By the time Sasame had finished her tale, she was sobbing uncontrollably.

Sarutobi felt his heart break for the young girl. To be so young, and to lose so much; it was horrible. He swept Sasame up in a gentle embrace. She stiffened at first, but then relaxed into the hug, sobbing into Sarutobi's clothes.

A few minutes later, a red-eyed Sasame calmed down, although one could still hear the occasional sniffle or two.

Sarutobi looked down at Sasame for a few moments and then asked:

"Sasame-chan, do you have any interest in becoming a citizen of Konoha? You would be safe here, and I'm sure that your father would rather you be safe than in danger?"

Sasame's eyes watered at the mention of her father, but she held back the tears with considerable effort and nodded.

Sarutobi smiled gently and then asked another question:

"How old are you, Sasame-chan?"

The girl sniffled, but replied meekly:

"I'm seven."

Sarutobi nodded and thought for a moment, suddenly getting an idea of what to do.

"When you were found Sasame-chan," he began. "You had some kunai pouches on you. Were you training to become a ninja?"

Sasame nodded glumly and whispered:

"M-my father was teaching me. I just started a few months ago, but we were making progress. But now that father is gone, there's no use-"

"What if I told you," interrupted Sarutobi gently. "That you could go to the Academy here in Konoha to learn how to be a ninja?"

Sasame's face brightened for the first time since Sarutobi had met her. It was a heartwarming smile, very much like another seven year old he knew.

"I would like that a lot!" Sasame gushed. "Would that mean I would become a ninja that works for you?"

Sarutobi chuckled and patted Sasame on the head.

"If you graduate, it does indeed! So what do you say Sasame-chan?" He replied.

Sasame's grinned.

"I'll do it!"

* * *

><p>Danzo stood in his Root headquarters staring down at the youth who was kneeling before him.<p>

"You understand what your mission is?" Danzo asked impassively.

The youth nodded.

The youth was a boy with pale skin and jet black hair. His eyes were the same color as ink, and his expression was completely neutral. He wore ANBU-style clothing, with a tanto strapped to his back.

Danzo tapped his cane on the floor in an arrhythmic pattern while he thought.

"You need a name to use for the duration of your mission," Danzo explained. The boy said nothing, and simply waited. Then Danzo said:

"Yes, that will do."

Danzo looked down at the boy and smirked.

"For this mission and from henceforth, you shall be called: Sai."

**AN:**** Well, things are starting to move along! For those that are interested I have chosen Sasame to be the pairing for Naruto. Why? Because I want to be unique. Sorry to everyone who was crossing their fingers for a certain pairing but my mind's made up. Hopefully it doesn't stop you from reading! More to come soon! R&R!**


	24. Chapter 24

**AN:**** Hello readers! Afroman007 with an action-packed chapter for ya! The Uchiha Conflict is the focus of this chapter! As always make sure to R&R! **

**Chapter 24:**

It was early morning when Naruto was shaken awake by someone. Instinctively, he reached for his bedside kunai to defend himself, only to find that he couldn't; his hand was tightly grasped by another.

He whipped his head in a panic, only to visibly relax when he noticed that it was just his guardian, Neko.

"I admire that you've gotten better with your reaction speed, Naruto-san." Neko complimented, as she released her grip on Naruto's hand.

Naruto gave a large yawn and groggily sat up in his blankets, smiling meekly at her.

"Thanks," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "But what are you doing here in my bedroom, Neko-san?"

Neko straightened up and was silent for a moment before she replied:

"The Hokage wants to see you, Naruto-san."

Naruto turned to look at his battered alarm clock, which read five-thirty in the morning.

"Seriously?" Naruto groaned. "It's still way too early! Besides, I have class to go to!"

Neko didn't sympathize.

"You'd better get ready Naruto-san," she retorted simply. "I'll wait outside for you."

Neko didn't even wait for Naruto's reply as she vanished in a quick shunshin.

Naruto scowled at the spot Neko had disappeared from.

"She sneaks in here, nearly scares me to death, and now I have to go see the Old Man this early in the morning?" Naruto complained in a whisper. "Why do I get the feeling that today is going to suck?"

And the best part was: Naruto didn't realize at the time just how right he was.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Neko made it to the Hokage Tower no less than thirty minutes later. They would've arrived earlier, but Naruto, in a bout of passive-aggressiveness, decided to drag his feet while getting ready. It wasn't until Neko dragged him from his cereal, (which Naruto made a point to eat extremely slow) that the boy got his act together and they could leave.<p>

Naruto glared as he stomped up the stairs of the tower, Neko following closely behind. He wondered what could possibly be so urgent that the Old Man needed to see him right now. Did something happen that the Old Man thought he needed to know about? His heart stopped for a moment, and so did his feet.

What if something happened to Anko-sensei? Or Sasuke? Maybe the Old Man found something out about his mysterious hunter that he needed to tell him immediately?

Neko was slightly startled at the boy's sudden halt and placed a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"Is everything alright, Naruto-san?" She asked kindly.

Naruto nodded absentmindedly and continued to walk. Neko continued on as well, but watched the boy with concern.

After what seemed like forever, at least to Naruto, the two of them arrived at the doors to the Hokage's office. Naruto noticed it was so early in the morning that even Kimiko wasn't even here! Not that he missed the witch. Yet another reason to feel slighted for having to be awake so early: Naruto wouldn't feel so cranky about the situation if Kimiko was forced to buzz him in. He imagined that would really piss the woman off.

Neko opened the door to the office and gestured for Naruto to enter, which he did. Inside, he was greeted with the sight of Sarutobi, who was staring at him with a very solemn face. The look of the Old Man's expression made Naruto's heart sink.

"Heya, Old Man..." Naruto greeted uncomfortably. He had never seen the Old Man look so cross with him before. Okay, that wasn't true. The Old Man had given him the same look when Naruto had gotten caught after doing a prank. The thing was: he hadn't done any pranks lately, so what could the Old Man possibly be mad about?

Sarutobi didn't even smile. He simply gestured to a lone chair in front of his desk and said:

"Have a seat, Naruto-kun. We need to talk."

Hesitantly, Naruto did as Sarutobi asked and sat.

The two of them stared at each other for a moment, before Sarutobi broke the silence.

"I know you are aware of your tenant, Naruto-kun." He said simply.

Naruto's eyes widened, and he felt his heart rate speed up.

"I am quite upset that you did not come to me when you first learned about the Kyuubi, which also begs the question: how did you come across this knowledge?"

Naruto gulped and wrung his hands awkwardly before answering.

"Last year, after the shadow-double of Anko appeared and attacked, I found out when I went to sleep that night. I met Kurama, although he was a bit of a jerk at first-"

Sarutobi held up a hand to stop the boy.

"I assume that's another name for the Kyuubi?" he asked.

Naruto shook his head.

"No. Kurama is the Kyuubi's _real _name," Naruto replied.

Sarutobi narrowed his eyes.

"Please start from the beginning," he asked sternly. "I want to know everything. Leave nothing out, Naruto-kun."

And so, Naruto explained. He told the Old Man about meeting his shadow in his mindscape, after learning about his status as a Jinchuuriki from Kurama. He also told him about the time that Kurama had told him his real name. And finally, he told Sarutobi about the fact that he had told Anko about his awareness about being a Jinchuuriki, which shook the Old Man a bit.

Sarutobi closed his eyes for a moment, thinking deeply.

_'I can't believe Anko-chan knew and didn't say anything to me!' _Sarutobi thought incredulously. _'That could be considered a treasonous act, but thankfully I completely understand why she didn't!'_

Sarutobi glanced at Naruto who was returning his glance, with a large amount of discomfort and shame.

Sarutobi smiled slightly.

_"I guess the boy has really grown on you eh, Anko-chan?'_

He then cleared his throat and stared at Naruto impassively.

"While I am quite upset that you kept this a secret from me Naruto-kun, the past is the past: we cannot change it." Sarutobi began plainly. Naruto sighed and nodded his understanding.

"However," continued Sarutobi. "Now that I know about your awareness, certain steps must be taken to ensure your safety. I do not doubt that several eyes will be on you now, since I had to inform several others about this matter..."

Naruto's eyes widened in fright.

"WHAT!?" He bellowed, jumping to his feet. "OLD MAN! WHY-?"

Sarutobi fixed Naruto with a pointed glance, making the boy once again retake his seat,

"I am Hokage, Naruto-kun," Sarutobi explained. "That means I must think of the best interests of the village, not just individuals. Your status is a matter of military importance, although it irks me to say it like that. Therefore, certain parties had to be made privy to the situation, for safety of the village to be ensured."

Naruto hung his head dejectedly. Sarutobi sighed and added:

"The only people that were informed were those that already know your status as a Jinchuuriki. You do not have to worry about anyone close to you finding out, especially your friend Sasuke. There is a law in place that forbids the people who know of your condition from telling anyone who does not already know about you."

Naruto looked up and frowned.

"Well, that's good, I guess," Naruto muttered. "But it's not like the law helped me though. Kids my age still avoid and make fun of me."

Sarutobi sighed.

"I suspect many have tried to skirt around my law by passing on their prejudices to their children, seeing that they cannot tell them why they are wary of you."

Naruto scowled and crossed his arms.

"It's not like I asked to be a Jinchuuriki!" Naruto spat bitterly.

"I know, Naruto-kun," Sarutobi commiserated. "I hate the fact that the villagers cannot see you for who you truly are and not just what you contain. Fuinjutsu is a very complex art, therefore: there are very few that truly understand how it works. The villagers, who have no knowledge of fuinjutsu whatsoever, don't understand; and fear you because of this."

Naruto's eyes blazed.

"Then I'll just have to show them that I'm not Kurama, and I'm my own person!" Naruto declared boldly.

Sarutobi smiled warmly at the boy's declaration.

"I look forward to the day when the village sees you for who you truly are Naruto-kun."

Naruto gave Sarutobi an ear-splitting smile. The old Hokage cleared his throat, obviously trying to keep himself from getting too emotional, and continued:

"But for now, let's talk about what steps we need to take now that we're both on the same page."

Naruto groaned.

"What steps are those, Old Man?"

Sarutobi chuckled at the boy's attitude.

"Firstly, we'll have to step up your chakra control training, again," he elucidated. "Secondly: I'm going to have a student of mine examine your seal to make sure nothing is wrong with it. I've already sent for him, so he should be arriving in the village in a few days. Thirdly, I'm going to assign a small squad of ANBU to shadow you..."

Sarutobi held up a hand to forestall the indignant response he knew would come from the boy's mouth and continued:

"Just for awhile to make sure no one tries to harm you. Simply think of them the same way you thing of Neko over there..."

The Old Hokage pointed at Neko who stood next to the office door and waved cheerfully at Naruto.

"In fact, I'm sure Neko would be delighted to be a part of the squad to watch you." Sarutobi added, looking at the violet haired ANBU, who nodded.

"It would be my pleasure, Hokage-sama." She replied.

Sarutobi nodded gratefully and focused back on Naruto, who still looked grumpy about the situation, but slightly more mollified than before.

"Are these terms acceptable with you, Naruto-kun?" He asked.

Naruto blew out a breath and nodded, making Sarutobi smile.

"Very good!" He exclaimed. "I'll work out the specifics later today. For now, I believe you should go and get ready for the Academy!"

Naruto's eyes widened.

"WHAT!?" Naruto whined in disbelief. "I STILL HAVE TO GO!?"

Sarutobi nodded flatly, making Naruto pout.

"This sucks!" Naruto spat.

Sarutobi simply chuckled and gestured to Neko, who came over.

"Would you be so kind as to escort our young friend back to his apartment, Neko?" He asked.

Neko nodded, and began to approach Naruto who paled.

"No! No thanks!" Naruto stammered. "I'll walk! I hate that shunshin thing!"

And with that, Naruto Uzumaki bolted out of the office, without even saying goodbye to a now laughing Sarutobi who thought:

'_I bet Minato would be rather upset to hear that Naruto-kun isn't a fan of speedy techniques if he was still alive!'_

Finishing the thought, Sarutobi looked over at the framed portraits of the previous Hokage that hung on the wall and focused on one in particular. A man whose son was almost his exact likeness, the Fourth Hokage: Minato Namikaze.

"I will do as I promised old friend," Sarutobi whispered under his breath. "I will do everything I can to protect your son."

* * *

><p>Sasame awoke in her hospital bed feeling rather refreshed, compared to how she felt the day before. All of her aches were gone, except for her right ankle, where she had tripped yesterday. The nurse who had checked in on her last night after the Hokage had left had informed her that it was sprained, and that it should heal up as long as she took it easy. She was also informed that she was now a citizen of Konoha, which she had mixed feelings about.<p>

It wasn't that she wasn't glad to have a new home. It wasn't that at all. In fact she was elated. But, the fact remained that she was still alone. Now, she was alone in a whole village of strangers. She knew the nurse and the Hokage now of course, but she harbored no delusions that she would be able to talk with them all the time. She was told that she would be released from the hospital today by the Hokage and that he would send someone to escort her to the Academy. The thought terrified her. Things were moving a bit too fast for her.

Sasame thought of what her father would say.

'_Change is always scary at first,' _he had told her once, while they trained outside their small home in the Land of Rice. '_But it is the way the world works. Better to go with the change than fight it.'_

The thought of her father sent a strong pang of sadness through her. It had only been a day since she lost him, but it felt like years had already passed. She knew he would want her to be strong, he would want her to persevere! But, she wasn't sure she could.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone shouting in the hall.

"No I don't have an appointment!" Cried an indignant voice. Sasame could tell by the tone that whomever it was, the voice belonged to a female. "The Hokage sent me to pick someone up! Get out of my way, or I'll sick my snakes on you!"

There was a crash and a yelp, and the door to her room flew open, revealing a strange woman.

Shew had purple hair that was tied back in a ponytail, and long bangs that covered the front of her forehead, concealing a Konoha forehead protector underneath. She wore a fitted mesh body suit that stretched from her neck all the way to her thighs, and an orange mini-skirt. On top of the mesh, she wore a long beige overcoat.

The woman strode into the room and glanced down at Sasame, making the girl recoil slightly. She wasn't sure why, but something told her to be extremely wary of this woman.

"So," the woman began with an appraising tone. "You're the brat that I've got to escort to the Academy, eh?"

Sasame nodded quickly and attempted to hide herself under her blankets. The woman chuckled and shook her head.

"Don't worry," the woman continued. "I'm not going to bite!"

Sasame lowered her blankets, but still remained on guard. The woman sighed as she ran a hand through her violet locks.

"My name is Anko Mitarashi," she said introducing herself. "What's your name, girlie?"

Sasame hesitated for a moment, but then replied:

"Sasame. Sasame Fuma."

Anko's eyebrows rose slightly.

"Fuma eh?" She said, sounding impressed. "So you're from the Fuma Clan?"

When Sasame nodded, Anko beamed.

"Well, Sasame-chan, let's get going!"

Sasame looked at her blankly, which made Anko sweat-drop.

"What?" Anko asked flatly.

Sasame pointed to the IV drip that was still inserted in her arm and gestured at the fact that she was still in hospital attire. Anko frowned.

"Right." Anko said with an awkward chuckle. :We should probably get a doctor to release you first, huh?"

Sasame couldn't help but wonder what the Hokage was thinking, sending, in her opinion: the strangest person she had ever met. It was going to be a very interesting day.

* * *

><p>Sasuke scowled as he made his way to the Academy. He couldn't stop thinking about the argument he had witnessed last night between his parents.<p>

**Flashback, Last Night:**

Sasuke awoke from his sleep after hearing the muffled sounds of shouting. He stealthily slipped out of his bedroom, making sure to be as quiet as possible. He crept down the dark hallways of his home and rounded a corner as he followed the source of the sound. He stopped abruptly after he passed the corner, and pressed himself against the wall. The sound was coming from his parent's bedroom! As quietly as he could possibly move, he snuck up to the door, where a stream of light flooded out; apparently both his mother and father were still awake, and from what he could hear: it sounded like they were fighting.

"Fugaku, it's madness!" Came the voice of his mother, Mikoto. She was clearly upset. Sasuke scooted closer to the crack in the door so he could hear better.

"I won't take any part in it!"

"Mikoto," came the voice of his father, Fugaku. "It's in the best interests of the clan!"

Sasuke lay against the floor perplexed. What in the world were they arguing about?

"The best interests of the clan?!" retorted Mikoto angrily. "Are you honestly trying to sell that line to me? Think about what it would mean for our children!"

That got Sasuke's attention. Whatever they were arguing about obviously involved him in some way. He listened more closely.

"I _am _thinking about our sons!" Fugaku argued back. "It's foolishness to think that we'll ever prosper in a village that restrains us at every turn! The Uchiha are no one's servants!"

Sasuke wasn't surprised by his father's statement. Fugaku Uchiha was a very proud man. And he was even prouder of his clan. Fugaku was the head of the Konoha Military Police, that consisted solely of Uchiha clansmen. He also was the head of the clan, therefore, the man lived and breathed everything that had to do with it's inner-workings.

"We are part of the Leaf, Fugaku!" Replied Mikoto. "We are not servants, but mutual contributors! No one is calling our clan servants!"

"You aren't in the council meetings, Mikoto!" Shot back Fugaku angrily. "You don't hear what the others whisper behind our backs when they think no one is listening! They still hold us accountable for the attack seven years ago!"

Sasuke felt his confusion rising. Seven years ago? Then that would mean...!

"Several of us fought the Kyuubi!" Mikoto reasoned. "Why the rest of the village is suspicious of us, I don't know, but what you're proposing we do about it is still madness!"

Sasuke almost gasped out loud, but luckily held it in. The village thought the Uchiha were responsible for the Kyuubi's attack? Why?

"My plan is the _only _way the Uchiha will ever be on top again!" Fugaku raged. "Most of the clan agrees with me!"

Sasuke heard his mother snort with derision.

"_Most _of the clan doesn't attend your secret meetings," Mikoto hissed. "You, the elders, and a few of the younger clansmen are the only ones who want to go forward with it! Think of all of the Uchiha who want no part in it! What gives you the right to decide their fates!?"

"I AM THE HEAD OF THE CLAN!" Fugaku shouted so loudly, Sasuke flinched at the harshness of his tone. Apparently, his mother wasn't as intimidated.

"And the head of a clan should seek the approval of everyone in it, not the approval of a few!"

Sasuke's head was spinning. What was it that his father was planning?

He could clearly hear his father's footsteps as he paced the room.

"This is happening whether you support it or not," Fugaku hissed with finality. "What's concerning me is if I can trust you to keep quiet about it!"

"I am your wife." Whispered Mikoto in a dangerous tone that Sasuke had _never _heard her use. It made the hairs on his neck stand up in alarm. "I will keep your secrets, even if I don't approve of them. I will stand by your choices, even if they're _wrong_!"

Sasuke heard his father take a deep breath and exhale.

"I'm sorry for accusing you," Fugaku said softly. "It's just that I'm stressed. Itachi has been acting very strange as of late, and I'm afraid that his blind loyalty to the village will ruin things. Not to mention Sarutobi is on to us, I believe. He might be influencing Itachi."

Sasuke heard his mother walk softly over to where he assumed his father was standing.

"Itachi is complicated dear," Mikoto consoled. "He's always been that way, even as a child. But he is an adult, as much as it pains me to think of him as such; he's so young. He's been an adult ever since he got his forehead protector. You can't force him to do as you ask: that will only drive him away..."

Fugaku sighed in irritation.

"I know," he muttered. "I just hope he doesn't forget where his loyalties lie. When we start the rebellion, I don't want to have to face my own son!"

Sasuke froze, and then promptly sidled away from his parent's bedroom. His father was planning to _rebel _against Konoha!? He felt his world start to slowly corrode around him. He didn't understand! What would make his father think that a rebellion would help the Uchiha! His mother was right: it was madness!

Sasuke walked back to his bedroom in a daze. He couldn't even remember sliding open his door, nor crawling into his bed. He lay awake looking out his window blankly.

A rebellion. That was what was going on with the clan. That was why everyone was acting so strangely! But it begged the question: where did _he _stand in all of this? He had no desire to go to war with Konoha! It was his home! What would he do if his father forced him to assist in the conflict? Could he? He dismissed the thought. Of course he couldn't. He would never attempt to do such a thing! He had a best friend in Naruto, and as much as the other students in his class annoyed him, they were still people he had come to care about somewhat. Then there were all the villagers that were kind to him as he walked around the village, people that wouldn't be able to defend themselves if the Uchiha planned a coup. There was absolutely no way he could ever lift a finger against them.

Sasuke rolled over in his blankets and stared despondently at the dark ceiling of his bedroom, and the horrible truth of the matter washed over him like a bucket of cold water.

The rebellion was _going _to happen. And the worst part?

There was _nothing _he could do about it.

**End Flashback**

The sheer thought of what his father was planning to do, and his own helplessness in the situation ate at Sasuke as he trudged down the street. What could he do? He held no real sway over his father; unlike Itachi. Sasuke was sure that if Itachi were to talk to their father, he would at least hear him out, even if he dismissed his argument completely.

Sasuke gritted his teeth as he continued walking.

Itachi was always their father's favorite. He was a prodigy: everyone said so, and Sasuke couldn't deny the fact. His older brother was only thirteen, and was already an ANBU Captain! Of course, Sasuke had just started the Academy, but even that served as a reminder of how outclassed he was in comparison to Itachi. Itachi had managed to graduate from the Academy when he was the same age Sasuke was right now! Sasuke loved his older brother though. He was always kind and considerate of his feelings. Secretly, Sasuke wished that his father and brother's personalities were swapped. He could deal with having an overly-proud, condescending older brother, if he had a loving and supportive father in exchange. All Sasuke wanted was for his father to hold him in the same esteem that he held Itachi! Was it so much to ask?

Sasuke's brooding was interrupted when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"Hey Duck-Butt!" Shouted the voice of Naruto Uzumaki. "Wait up!"

Sasuke wheeled around to see his best friend sprinting up the road to meet him. Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets and shelved his thoughts for another time. It wouldn't do to get Naruto concerned about him. Besides, what could the whiskered boy do to help? Better to act like nothing was wrong.

"Hurry up then, Whiskers!" Sasuke shouted back, forcing a smile.

Naruto caught up to Sasuke and shot him an enormous grin.

"Whiskers, huh?" Naruto asked incredulously. "Is that really the best you could come up with?"

Sasuke shrugged.

"It seemed like a good insult at the time," he retorted. "Besides, my hair does _not _look like a duck's butt!"

Naruto snorted, obviously in disagreement.

"Have you looked at in the mirror?" Naruto asked innocently.

Sasuke swung a playful fist at Naruto's head, which the boy easily ducked under, and they both laughed.

They continued walking down the road towards the Academy. Sasuke pretended to listen as Naruto ranted about one thing or another, but truthfully his mind kept flashing back on the conversation he heard last night. He glanced over at his friend who was pantomiming an explosion of some sort and smirked.

'_Rebellion or not,' _Sasuke thought as they rounded a bend to be met with the facade of the Academy building.

'_Konoha is my home. I'm not going to fight my friends.'_

* * *

><p>Itachi hung his head as he wandered the streets of the village, lost in thought. He had just come from a meeting a few minutes ago with the Hokage and his advisors concerning his clan. The Hokage, whom Itachi respected greatly, had argued in vain against his advisors and Danzo that they should continue trying to reach out and find a diplomatic solution. Danzo on the other hand, argued that the Uchiha had made it clear that they would not make anymore concessions, and grew worse and worse by the day. Itachi gritted his teeth throughout the whole meeting. They spoke as if he wasn't even present! It was <em>his <em>clan they were discussing: his _family_! Finally, Sarutobi had asked him for his report on the matter.

Itachi had reported that his father intended on going through with his plans of staging a rebellion and planned to finalize the attack plans tonight. That shocked everyone, except Danzo, who Itachi noticed almost seemed pleased. Itachi hated the man almost as much as he detested his father's blind allegiance to the Uchiha Clan and not the village as a whole. Both men claimed to only want the best for the clan or village respectively, but they were so wrapped up in their own agendas they couldn't see the whole picture. For his father, Itachi had constantly reasoned that a shinobi's allegiance should be to their village first, and clan second. Obviously, his father vehemently argued against his logic. Danzo on the other hand, was wrapped up in so much secrecy Itachi couldn't be sure of _what _the man's true intentions towards Konoha even were!

Itachi sighed as he continued his aimless stroll.

In the end, the Hokage had decreed that Itachi was to attend the meeting his father would be holding tonight and report back immediately after with a report about his plans. It made Itachi feel ill just thinking about it. Although the Hokage hadn't _said _it, he was basically implying that the Uchiha would have to be dealt with accordingly depending on what was decided at the meeting. Itachi wished there was another way! There had to be!

He knew which side of the conflict he would be though, and it wouldn't make his father happy; not that he cared. Itachi had stopped caring about his father's opinion of him ever since he had made him into the 'poster-boy' of the Uchiha Clan, a position he detested. His father, so full of Uchiha pride, was completely blinded by his own delusions of grandeur of what the clan could be if they simply took what they believed was their right. He looked at Itachi as if he was their guiding light, an example of what all Uchiha shinobi should strive to be. That wouldn't be so bad, in Itachi's opinion, if his father was talking about what _drove _Itachi to work as hard as he did to get where he was, but he knew his father was only referring to his prodigious skills. It was shallow, and completely irrelevant in Itachi's opinion. A shinobi shouldn't be judged by his skills, he should be judged by his character! Even more than that: they should be recognized for what they stand for, for what they fight for! Itachi didn't have to wonder what _he _fought for. He had known ever since he got his headband as a genin.

He fought for his family, especially his younger brother, Sasuke, but most importantly:

He fought for his village.

* * *

><p>Sai crouched on a rooftop overlooking the Academy across the way. He observed with sharp eyes each and every student that entered the building. The way the carried themselves, the way to talked with one another: all of it was imperative, if he was to fulfill his mission.<p>

He was honored that Lord Danzo had trusted this assignment to him. He couldn't remember his life before Root, and was sure that he didn't care to. All that mattered was enforcing Lord Danzo's will. He was proud to serve. Lord Danzo had given him a purpose! He would be nothing but a nameless, weak orphan wandering the streets of the village if Lord Danzo hadn't discovered and taken him in.

He had regrets however. As much as Lord Danzo preached that a true shinobi had to purge themselves of all emotion, Sai still had a few that constantly festered under his stoic facade. He tried desperately to rid himself of them, to become the shinobi that Lord Danzo wanted him to be, but they still remained; like a scar that would never fade.

It was his last test to truly join the ranks of Root that had caused them to resurface. He was given a final test, a test that would effectively purge him of all emotion, all attachments. At first, Sai was all too eager to prove himself worthy by any means possible, there was nothing he wouldn't do to become a true shinobi! But, then his world had come crashing down around him when he was given the test.

A simple battle, no holds barred. It seemed easy enough, after all of the arduous training he had completely before. Just a fight? No problem. But when he saw _who _he was to fight to the death...

Sai shook his head of the thought. Now was not the time to reflect on the past. There was only the present. Only his mission. He made his way off of the building and slipped into a alleyway and emerged, joining the throng of children his age as they conversed and entered the Academy.

They were all so oblivious, so care-free he thought as he listened in on various conversations as he moved forward with the crowd. These children aspired to be ninja? Laughable. There was no place for such innocence if one wanted to become a _true _ninja!

Once again, Sai forced his thoughts back into the recesses of his mind. He reminded himself that he was here for a reason. He was here to accomplish his mission.

Nothing else mattered.

**AN:**** What do you think? Thing's are really starting to heat up, eh? Tune in next time!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25:**

Obito Uchiha was irritated. And that was _not _a good thing. He was irritated because his well-thought out plans were just derailed by what can only be called an enigma of a person.

He cursed under his breath. He had planned to sneak into Konoha and finish what he had started by planting the seeds of rebellion in the minds of his fellow clansmen the Uchiha. It was supposed to be cut and dry; but that _person _had to appear and ruin everything!

**Flashback: Last Night...**

Obito grinned as he quietly slipped away from a meeting in the Hokage's Tower. He had eavesdropped on a top-secret discussion about what to do about the impending rebellion of the Uchiha Clan. He watched with ill-disguised mirth as the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi tried and _failed _to convince his advisors to continue to take a diplomatic approach to the situation.

_'The old fool!' _Obito thought. _'Doesn't he realize that it's pointless?'_

He also watched with satisfaction as his fellow clansmen, Itachi tried to remain completely indifferent throughout the discussion about his family. Obito knew the boy must be torn inside, listening helplessly as the fate of his clan was argued over in committee. Itachi's indecision was key to his plans, the more helpless he felt: the better.

Obito made his way to the forests outside Konoha's walls, where he was to rendezvous with Zetsu, who was currently spying on the Uchiha Clan's head: Fugaku.

After several long minutes, the plant-like man appeared, phasing through the ground silently.

Zetsu was Obito's right-hand man. He was also the strangest looking being that Obito had ever seen. He had a human head with short green hair, and a face that was divided down the middle. One half was white, with a yellow iris, while the other half was completely black, with a yellow eye. He was easily recognizable by the two Venus flytrap extensions that emerged from his sides, enveloping his body like a shell, which he was able to retract and close at will. He wore a plain black cloak and both of his legs were wrapped in bandages. To finish off his attire, he wore black sandals.

The white side of his face had a more playful personality, while the black half was much more solemn and blunt. Obito was somewhat unnerved by the man, but he had seen stranger things in his experiences.

"What news, Zetsu?" Obito asked.

Zetsu was silent for a moment before replying:

"Fugaku is going to finalize the rebellion plans tonight!" Said Zetsu's white half with glee. The other half of Zetsu's body, the black half added: "**The stage is set. Everything is in place."**

Obito grinned underneath his mask and chuckled.

"All that's needed is to convince Itachi to take part in exterminating his clan," Obito said. "And then, we can set our other plans in motion..."

"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you..." Replied a sweet voice from nearby.

Instantly, Obito fell into a defensive stance and activated his sharingan, trying to pinpoint the intruder's location.

"Come out!" Obito commanded.

There was a pause, and then a woman who Obito recognized, stepped into the clearing.

"Anko Mitarashi?" Asked Obito in surprise. What was _she _of all people, doing here?

"Wow!" replied 'Anko'. "I'm flattered! I guess the sharingan isn't all that it's cut out to be if you think I'm actually the _real _Anko!"

Obito narrowed his eye at her.

Looking more closely, he noticed that the figure before him was...odd. In all respects, it appeared to be Anko Mitarashi, but his sharingan was picking up a strange fluctuation in her chakra that wasn't normal. It was as if she was there, but not entirely.

"Who are you, then?" Obito hissed dangerously.

Anko giggled and then began to melt. Her color faded, and her form elongated and stretched into a humanoid shadow. It had no facial features, just darkness for a face.

"Who I am isn't really important: but for the sake of conversation, you can call me: Kage." said the apparition.

Obito snorted derisively underneath his mask in amusement.

" 'Shadow' huh?" Obito said. "What do you want?"

Kage stretched and tilted it's head to side, as if appraising Obito critically.

"It's not so much what _I _want, as what my Master wants," Kage said casually with a shrug. "For example: you aren't going to do anything concerning the Uchiha."

Obito was silent for a moment, before he burst into laughter.

"Are you _serious _!?" He cackled disbelievingly. Who did this 'Kage' think it was talking to?! "I'm Madara Uchiha, Patriarch of the Uchiha Clan! I can do whatever I wish concerning _my _clan!"

Kage didn't say anything for a moment before it shook it's head slowly.

"I think we both know that you're not Madara, _Obito_." Replied Kage simply.

Obito felt himself freeze up. How in the world did this thing know who he really was? Then, he realized that it didn't matter. His secret couldn't be revealed. Therefore: this 'Kage' had to be dealt with, _now._

Obito lunged forward at blinding speed, kunai in hand, hoping to take Kage by surprise. He was momentarily stunned when he discovered that his attack went straight through the shadowy figure: much like his own Kamui technique.

Not to be deterred, Obito flashed through a series of handsigns and blew out a stream of flame that surrounded the shadow on all sides. There was a scream of pain, and Obito smirked as he watched his technique deal with the interloper.

"Just kidding!" Came the voice of Kage to his right, who was standing completely unharmed next to Zetsu, who aimed a kick kick at Kage's head, only for it to phase straight through.

"**What in the world are you?" **Asked Black Zetsu in awe. Kage chuckled as it examined Zetsu in great interest.

"You know," said Kage gleefully. "I could ask you the exact same question!"

Obito clenched his fists in outrage.

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" He spat. "WHAT DO YOU WANT!?"

Kage turned from Zetsu and looked at Obito. At least, Obito _thought _Kage was looking at him.

"I already told you," Kage replied. "My Master wants you to leave the Uchiha Clan alone. He already has plans for them, and you will only complicate them."

Obito couldn't believe what he was hearing! He then asked the question that he was dying to know.

"Who is your _Master _then," he hissed. "And why in the world should I give a damn what he wants!?"

Suddenly, like a gentle breeze, a name was whispered into Obito's ear and he froze in disbelief.

"There's no way." He gasped.

Kage chucked and nodded.

"That's him," Kage replied happily. "So unless you want to make him your enemy, I would suggest doing as he asks!"

Obito fell to his knees in shock. If Kage's master was _really _who it said it was, then he had no choice but to back off: he couldn't face a foe of that magnitude.

"Oh, and one more thing," Kage added, making Obito look up at the shadow. "Any plans that you have concerning Naruto Uzumaki: _forget them._"

Obito growled, but said nothing. At this rate: everything that he had planned would have to be completely scrapped! Kage began to disappear in a swirl of shadows.

"That's all!" Kage said. "Remember what I said, and you _probably _won't see me again!"

And with that, Kage vanished completely, leaving no indication that it was ever in the clearing in the first place.

There was a poignant silence that lasted several minutes before White Zetsu asked:

"What do we do, Boss?"

Obito took several deep breaths before he stood up and adjusted his mask.

"We _do _nothing as of right now," Obito said bitterly. "I'm not match for that _man. _In fact, I don't even think Madara could face him in a battle. We'll have to scrap our plans for the Uchiha..."

Zetsu nodded and then added:

"**What of the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki then?" **Asked Black Zetsu curiously. **"We need it to complete our ultimate goal; are we going to leave it alone as well?"**

Obito said nothing for a moment as he thought about his options.

One the one hand, he could simply try and take the boy now, but from what he had gathered in his time spying on the village, the boy was very well guarded. Also, there was the fact that he would be going against Kage's warning. He didn't want to face the consequences of that just yet. Once he had gathered more to his cause, he might consider going for it, but not at the moment. Then, on the other hand, if he _didn't _do anything, that allowed Kage's master to control the playing field, which Obito couldn't have happen.

"I'll have to think about it more," Obito said at last. "We'll complete the Moon's Eye Plan one way or another; regardless of _that man's _influence or not!"

Zetsu nodded silently in understanding.

Obito activated his Kamui and swirled out of sight, Zetsu soon phasing into the ground after.

**End Flashback**

Obito was at a loss for what to do now. If he acted without thinking things through, everything that he worked so hard to put in place could come falling down all around him. He needed to be patient. And he also needed to find an advantage over his new enemy. The question was: How?

* * *

><p>Naruto yawned loudly as he sat in his seat. He was still tired from having to wake up so early to meet with the Old Man. He was glad that they discussed the matter of Kurama however. One of the many things that was bothering him was the fact that he had kept it a secret from him for so long. He trusted the Old Man completely, and couldn't find it in him to be mad at the Old Man for not telling him that he was a Jinchuuriki. Sure, he was upset at the time it was discussed, but now that he had some time to think it over, he realized that he was right to keep it a secret. If Naruto hadn't met Kurama when he did, and still remained oblivious to the matter, being told about it would've completely destroyed him. He would've been happy to know <em>why <em>the villagers treated him the way they did, but at the same time, he would be completely at a loss as to how to deal with the information. Luckily, he had Kurama, Anko, and now the Old Man as support; even if the former didn't really count, because he was the one being discussed.

Naruto chanced a glance at Sasuke to see him brooding even more than usual. He had a good mind to ask his friend what was wrong earlier, as no one knew how to throw up a mask better than he did. Naruto was able to easily see that on their walk to class, Sasuke was forcing himself to smile. It was obvious that something was eating at Sasuke, but Naruto remembered his promise to himself not to pry unless Sasuke talked about it first.

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted when he noticed Iruka walk into the room and stand at the podium.

Naruto plugged his ears, as he already knew what was surely coming in the next few seconds. And come it did. Even with his fingers muffling the sound, Naruto could still clearly hear Iruka command the class to 'SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN!' Naruto waited until Iruka's head returned to it's normal size before taking his fingers out of his ears.

Iruka cleared his throat and then addressed the class.

"Today, we have two new students joining us," He began, to the delight and curious of many in the room. Naruto groaned at all of the chatter. He knew that Iruka was most likely about to go big-head again at any moment. Surprisingly, Iruka didn't.

"Okay, settle down!" Iruka yelled as he walked over to the door. "I hope that you will treat your new classmates kindly and help them adjust. You both can come in now!"

* * *

><p>Sasame was dropped off at the Academy by Anko who insisted on taking her time strolling through the streets, instead of transporting the both of them via shunshin. This was fine with Sasame, however. She didn't mind getting to get her real first look at Konoha, although the nagging soreness of her ankle was getting on her nerves. She currently was wearing the same outfit that she was found in. Her nurse at the hospital had washed her clothes and folded them on a dresser in the hospital room, and Anko commented how glad she was that she didn't have to dip into her dango and sake money to buy some brat clothes.<p>

Sasame wasn't sure what to make of the woman. Anko was nice enough, if not a tad standoffish. She was crude and blunt, but Sasame kind of liked that about her. Sasame noticed as they walked down the street that many of the villagers they passed looked at her with curiosity and interest, but when they saw who she was traveling with scowled and quickly turned away.

"Anko-san?" Sasame asked meekly as they strolled down the street. Anko raised an eyebrow to show that she was listening.

"Why are people scowling at you? Did you do something wrong?"

Anko started to laugh, which greatly surprised Sasame. When Anko calmed down she replied:

"Kiddo, I haven't done anything wrong," she said with a carefree smile. "The villagers are just a bunch of uptight ass-wads."

Sasame blinked at Anko's answer and then asked:

"Really? Then why-?"

"Look kiddo," Anko said, in a more solemn tone. "Let's just say that my sensei was a bit of a bad guy. Therefore, his reputation kind of got passed down to me, even though I'm nothing like him. Understand?"

Sasame nodded. From Anko's tone she understood that it was most likely a touchy subject. She decided to drop it, and they both continued walking in a somewhat uncomfortable silence.

When the two of them arrived at the Academy, Sasame noticed that no one was in the school-yard, which probably meant that classes had already started. She turned to look at Anko.

"Are we late?" She asked in worry.

Anko chuckled in response.

"Nah!" She said, which Sasame could tell was obviously not true. Anko noticed the frown on the young girl's face. "Okay, just a tad: but not by that much!"

Sasame didn't answer as the two of them walked into the building.

Anko led Sasame down a long hallway and up a flight of stairs. They went halfway down another hallway leading in the opposite direction before they stopped outside a door, where another boy was waiting.

"Who's that?" Whispered Sasame to Anko, who shrugged.

"Beats me," murmured Anko in reply. "I don't make a habit of learning the names of every brat I run into."

Sasame rolled her eyes at Anko's dismissive answer and observed the boy.

He was fairly tall and had pale skin and eyes that matched his jet-black hair. He was dressed in a high-collared midriff shirt, black pants, shinobi sandals and gloves that exposed his index finger and thumb. He had a tanto strapped to his back as well. Sasame's first thought about the boy was how...odd he seemed. His face was completely devoid of all emotion. She thought that he would at least be nervous, if he was in the same situation as her. Maybe he wasn't. Maybe he was standing out here to greet them?

"Hi," said Sasame, taking the initiative. "I'm Sasame Fuma. I'm new to the Academy. Who are you?"

The boy turned his eyes on her, and Sasame couldn't repress the thought that he was analyzing her.

"I am Sai," he replied with a smile. "I am also new to the Academy, it nice to meet you."

Sasame smiled and nodded, but on the inside: she frowned. Sai's smile wasn't right. It was almost as if he didn't know how to really do it. Like he copied the expression from a book.

Anko chose that time to speak up.

"Well," she began, stretching. "Since you two brats seem to be getting along just fine, I'm gonna head out! See you around kiddo!"

She ruffled Sasame's head, which made the girl swat her hand. Sasame then turned to Anko and bowed.

"Thanks for all of your help today, Anko-san." She said politely.

Anko waved her off.

"Just call me Anko-chan," Anko replied. "Anko-san makes me feel like I'm old or something!"

Sasame and Anko both laughed.

"You _do _look kind of old though." Said Sai, which made Anko stop laughing at once. She narrowed her eyes and took a step closer to the pale boy.

"What did you just say, _brat_?" Anko hissed in growing anger.

Sai was completely unaffected.

"I said: you _do _look kind of old. Am I wrong?"

Anko snatched Sai by the collar of his shirt and hefted him into the air, much to Sasame's shock. She pulled his face close to hers and snarled:

"Listen kid," she growled venomously. "Never, _never _talk like that to me again, GOT IT!?"

Sai said and did nothing except stare impassively back at Anko, which seemed to make her even angrier.

"WELL!?" Anko snarled, shaking Sai for emphasis.

Much to Sasame's relief, the door to the classroom opened at that moment.

"You can both come in now!" Said a kind voice.

A man stepped out and looked at the scene before him in surprise. His surprise quickly faded and he grabbed Anko's wrist.

"Anko-san," he yelled. "Put him down!"

Anko flushed pink and set Sai down on the ground. Sai did nothing to fix his ruffled shirt and just stared at the man blankly.

"Sorry Iruka," Anko said shyly. "I got a bit carried away, I guess."

Sasame watched the exchange between the two of them with interest. She didn't know that Anko, who always seemed brash and confident, could possibly have a demure side!

The man called Iruka sighed and shook his head.

"It's fine, Anko-san," he replied. "But, I need to get these two inside and continue with my class..."

Anko blushed again and laughed nervously.

"O-oh! R-right!" She stammered as she scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "Your class! I-I'll just be going now!"

Anko vanished in a swirl of leaves leaving Sasame, Sai, and Iruka standing in the hallway.

Iruka smiled at the two of them.

"Come on in, you two!" He said kindly, gesturing at the open classroom door.

Sai strode forward at once into the classroom, whereas Sasame hesitated for a moment before following after him.

* * *

><p>The first thing Sasame noticed when she walked into the classroom was all of the various pairs of eyes that were fixed on her as she strode over to the podium where Iruka was waiting. It made her extremely uncomfortable, and she would have given anything to be able to vanish in a shunshin like Anko had done only moments ago. She chanced a look at Sai, who was regarding everyone in the class curiously, without the slightest bit of discomfort.<p>

Sasame's thoughts were stirred when Iruka spoke up.

"Alright!" He said. "Why don't you two introduce yourselves? Just your names will do."

Sasame let out a barely visible sigh of relief. She was thankful that Iruka wasn't asking them to say more. She was so nervous she was positive that she'd simply stumble over her words.

"I am Sai." Said Sai simply. "Nice to meet all of you."

Sai did his creepy smile thing again, and it was all Sasame could do not to shudder. Something about that boy really put her off. Sasame blinked when she noticed that everyone, including Sai, was now focused on her. She blushed, hating herself for getting distracted, and introduced herself.

"M-my name is Sasame Fuma." She said meekly. She wanted to kick herself for fumbling over her words.

Iruka smiled and nodded.

"Alright you two," he said. "Find an open seat and sit down. Don't worry about your books for now, just share with someone!"

* * *

><p>Sasame made her way up the stairs very aware of everyone watching her and Sai as they did so. She passed a feral looking boy who had an open seat by him, but after she witnessed him growl at Sai decided <em>not <em>to sit there.

Finally, she found an open seat near the back where two boys were sitting. One had his head down on the desk lazily, while the other boy was glancing out the window indifferently. They seemed okay, so Sasame tried her luck.

"Hey," she began. Both boys turned to look at her, making her blush slightly. "D-do you mind if I sit here?"

The boy who was looking out the window just grunted and resumed looking out the window again. Sasame wasn't sure what that meant, so she looked down at the other boy who turned to look at her.

He had spiky yellow hair, and bright cerulean colored eyes. For some odd reason, he had what appeared to look like three whisker marks on either cheek. He was dressed in an orange v-neck shirt, with a black vest over it. His arms were covered in wrappings that started at his elbows and went all the way down to his hands, that were covered with black shinobi-style gloves. He wore black pants and matching shinobi sandals.

The boy grinned widely at her, and she was surprised by how happy he seemed to be.

"Sure!" the boy cried loudly, making Sasame wince slightly. "The more the merrier! Right, Sasuke!"

The boy named Sasuke simply grunted again, not even bothering to look at them.

The blonde boy turned back to Sasame and grinned again.

"That means, 'yes' in Sasuke." He said cheerfully. "I'm Naruto, by the way! Naruto Uzumaki!"

Sasame nodded as she took a seat next to Naruto, who gestured to Sasuke with a thumb.

"The broody kid over there is my friend, Sasuke Uchiha." Naruto continued as he scowled at him. "Don't worry about him. He'll warm up to you once he gets to know you! Well: as long as you don't become one of his fangirls!"

Before Sasame could respond or even ask what a 'fan-girl' was, Iruka yelled at them.

"Quiet down Naruto," he admonished. "I'm trying to teach a lesson here!"

Naruto stuck his tongue out at Iruka in return, which made Sasame giggle softly. At the sound of her laughter, Naruto turned to her and grinned.

"Hey, Sasame-chan!" Whispered Naruto.

Sasame was a bit taken aback that Naruto was being so familiar with her. After all, she had only just met him seconds ago. But for some reason, she didn't really mind that he called her that. He seemed like the type of person who eschewed formalities, if his bold way of speaking were any indication.

"What is it?" Sasame whispered back. Naruto grabbed her hands and brought his face uncomfortably close to hers and said:

"Do you wanna be friends?"

Sasame blinked. Firstly, she had never met someone who had such a disregard for people's personal space. But secondly, and more strange to her: she had never heard someone ask such a question with such sincerity and hopefulness.

Sasame smiled and nodded.

Naruto whooped, only to be yelled at by Iruka again, making Sasame burst into a quiet fit of giggles all over again.

She was beginning to think that life in Konoha wouldn't be that bad after all.

* * *

><p>Sai silently watched the exchange between the new girl Sasame and his target: Naruto Uzumaki.<p>

He wasn't sure why Lord Danzo had seemed so interested in the boy. He seemed like a buffoon. He was loud and somewhat obnoxious from what Sai could discern of him. However, none of that mattered: if Lord Danzo wanted him to observe the boy then that was what Sai would do.

He was currently seated next to who he assumed was a civilian girl, who was sneaking furtive glances at him for some reason. He had no idea why this was and turned to look at her, making the girl blush pink.

"Can I help you with something?" Sai asked flatly.

The girl shook her head furiously and stammered:

"N-no!"

Sai nodded blankly at her and continued to observe the class, only to be interrupted by the girl once more who whispered:

"I'm A-Akiko. It's n-nice to m-meet you Sai-san..."

Sai stared at her for a full ten seconds before he smiled and nodded. Akiko blushed again and went back to watching Iruka, although Sai caught her continuing to sneak occasional glances at him when she thought he wasn't paying attention.

Sai ignored Akiko in favor of observing his class. It was essential that he become familiar with the children of note here. It would make his mission easier.

He noticed a few rows down from him a boy sleeping and snoring softly who had to be a Nara. Nara's were known for their laziness, but were also deceptively intelligent. Sai made a mental note to be wary of the boy. Next to the Nara was a chubby boy whom Sai could only assume was an Akimichi. The boy was watching Iruka while munching on a bag of chips. Sai turned his attention to the bottom of the classroom where he noticed a girl with long platinum blonde hair who was listening to the teacher's lecture in obvious boredom. Sai supposed she was a Yamanaka, the clan that was known for being able to use mind jutsu. Sai knew of only one other Yamanaka: his mentor in Root training, Fu. However, unlike Fu who was a model example of what a shinobi should strive to be, this Yamanaka girl clearly wasn't interested in taking the path of a shinobi seriously. Sai observed from her flashy dress style that she must be one of those types of girls that care more about their appearance than their aptitude in the ninja arts. Sai moved his focus to the girl seated next to her and blinked twice, as if his eyes were deceiving him. Did that girl have _pink _hair? It made him wonder what the girl possibly hoped to accomplish in her career with such a blatant hair color. How would she possibly be able to move stealthily when her enemies could see her coming from a mile away?

Sai's thoughts were once again interrupted by Akiko who tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to look at her again, only to watch as her face took on a rosy hue once more.

'_How very strange.' _Sai thought. He wondered why she kept reacting this way. He would have to read up on female body language when he got a chance.

"Yes?" Asked Sai flatly.

Akiko demurely pushed her Konoha history textbook towards him.

"Y-you can share my textbook i-if you w-want..." She whispered, averting her eyes from him.

Sai stared at Akiko again for another long span of time before replying:

"Thank you."

Akiko nodded and smiled brightly at him. Sai gave a smile in return, but quickly went back to observing the classroom again.

He turned slightly in his chair to scout out other key students. He noticed a feral-looking boy that he easily identified as an Inuzuka. He knew this already however. The boy had growled at him as he ascended the stairs, obviously trying to assert himself as an Alpha. Sai moved on from the Inuzuka boy and noticed two more students of note sitting near the very back of the classroom.

There was a boy wearing sunglasses and a collar-high jacket, and a smaller girl with white eyes and blue hair. He immediately recognized both as being an Aburame and Hyuga respectively. While he wasn't sure of the Aburame, he was positive that the Hyuga girl must be of the Main House of her clan, since she did not have a seal on her forehead. Sai mentally noted that as something to look into further. There were not any Hyuga in Root, although Sai knew that Lord Danzo was very interested in recruiting one. Perhaps if Sai played his cards right, he might be able to convince this girl to meet with his master.

The Aburame boy turned his head to stare directly at Sai. Apparently, he kept his gaze on the two of them long enough to be noticed. Sai smiled at him and quickly looked elsewhere.

His eyes finally rested on his target again: Naruto Uzumaki. Glancing past the blonde haired boy, who was currently whispering something to the new girl, Sasame, Sai suddenly noticed the boy who was glancing out the window, and almost kicked himself for almost missing him.

The boy was of the Uchiha Clan. Sai did not have to speculate upon this, as the fan emblem on the back of the boy's shirt made this fact glaringly obvious. The Uchiha were another clan that Lord Danzo was immensely interested in. Sai knew the reason why, of course. Lord Danzo was interested in obtaining a shinobi capable of using the famed eyes of the Uchiha: the sharingan. Sai was well versed in the workings of the eye thanks to Lord Danzo's instruction, but assumed the Uchiha boy in his class had yet to awaken his. He made a mental note to watch the Uchiha carefully. If the boy was to unlock his sharingan while at the Academy, he might very well be a prime candidate to join Root.

"Sai!" Called the voice of Iruka.

Sai turned his attention away from the Uchiha boy and stared impassively down at Iruka, who was scowling.

"Please stop daydreaming and pay attention please!"

There was an outburst of laughter that Sai ignored, mostly because he did not understand what was so funny. He was just reprimanded, was he not? Why would that be a source of humor to others?

Sai frowned as he took up Akiko on her offer to share a textbook, so he could pay attention.

His first day of his mission left him with only one thought:

He had _a lot _of reading about normal human interactions to do after class.

* * *

><p>Itachi sat on a dock overlooking a lake in the Uchiha District. It held a lot of sentimental value to him, as it was the place where he had learned his first fire jutsu: the Gokakyu no Jutsu (Great Fireball Technique). It was also where he and his younger brother would spend a lot of time together, simply talking.<p>

The thought of Sasuke filled Itachi with sadness.

He had gone to the secret meeting his father had held last night and his worst fears were confirmed: the Uchiha would be staging a revolt. Naturally, he went to the Hokage immediately after the meeting and informed of such. To say Sarutobi was disappointed by the end decision was an understatement. Itachi respected the Third so much because the man hated violence, just as he did. He would much rather try and settle things peacefully than use force. That was what separated Sarutobi and Danzo.

Speaking of Danzo, Itachi had been pulled aside by the mummified man and asked to do a top-secret mission for him. Danzo had tried to convince Itachi that the uprising could be stopped, and at a smaller cost of Uchiha and Konoha ninja lives, if Itachi would lead a Root contingent into the Uchiha District under the cover of darkness, and assassinate the ones involved. Itachi had staunchly refused Danzo's idea. He was not so desperate about the situation to go behind his actual leader's back! On top of that: Itachi didn't trust Danzo one bit. He sensed some form of duplicity in the man's actions. Danzo was not someone who normally cared about saving lives, he was ruthless. That only made Itachi feel even more justified at turning the man's offer down.

But the fact remained that the coup was still set to happen. Itachi's father had set the date for the revolt in three days. That gave the Hokage and his advisors plenty of time to set up a counter of course, but Itachi felt as if he was the lynchpin of the whole situation. His father had become more aggressive as of late, demanding to know if Itachi planned to side with him or not. Itachi had declared that his father should already know which side he was on, and things between the two of them had gotten even more tense.

Itachi sighed again and glanced up at the clear blue sky. He smiled as a crow flew by overhead. He had always liked those birds.

"I thought I would find you here." Said a soft voice from behind him.

Itachi didn't have to look to know it was his mother, Mikoto.

"Hello, mother." Itachi replied softly, continuing to gaze at the sky.

Mikoto walked over and sat next to her son and regarded him with concern.

"Are you alright, Itachi?" She asked, fixing her gaze on his face.

Itachi sighed and returned her gaze. His mother was so beautiful. He wished he took more after her than his father in terms of looks.

"I'm just stressed..." Itachi said at last.

Mikoto frowned.

"Itachi," she began sternly. "I can tell that it's more than that. You're worried about what your father is planning, aren't you?"

Itachi lowered his gaze.

"of course I am," he replied quietly. "Doesn't father understand that he's making a terrible mistake? Are the lives of our clansmen, our status as Konoha citizens nothing to him?"

Mikoto reached out a hand and gently raised Itachi's face so their eyes met.

"Itachi, your father is doing what _he _thinks is best for the clan," she said with obvious displeasure. "What's important is what _you_think is best for the clan. You are the _heir_ after all."

Itachi narrowed his eyes at his now smiling mother.

"Mother, what are you hinting at?" Said Itachi slowly.

Mikoto continued to smile at him before she replied:

"I know of a way that we can stop the coup before it even happens..."

Itachi's eyes widened, and he felt like he was just hit point blank by one of Gai's punches. Of course! The answer was right in front of him the whole time! How could he have missed it!?

Mikoto's face lit up in delight when she saw that her eldest soon had finally cottoned on to what she was talking about.

"Come on Itachi," Mikoto said as she stood up and offered her son a hand. "We've got work to do."

Itachi smiled. He had forgotten how good it felt. For the first time in several weeks, he could say that he was genuinely excited and happy about something.

If their plan worked, his hope of finding a peaceful solution to his father's revolt against the village didn't seem so impossible after all!

Itachi took the proffered hand his mother provided, and got to his feet, finally feeling hopeful again.

**AN:**** Woo! Longest chapter so far folks! Almost 6000 words! Let me know what you're thinking about the story! Afroman007 signing out until next time!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26:**

**Time-skip: Two days Later:**

Mikoto Uchiha stood with her eldest son before the Hokage and his two advisors: Koharu and Homura. Much to her chagrin, the old war-hawk Danzo was present as well.

Mikoto fixed her onyx eyes on the mummified man and regarded him critically, smirking as she did so. She could tell by the slight tightening and release of his jaw that he was irritated that she was present.

Her speculation was proven true when the old man spoke.

"Itachi," Danzo began in a harried tone. "I hope you realize that there is nothing you or your mother can say to make us retract our decision on how we handle the coup?"

Mikoto and her son flashed an angry glare at the man's blatant dismissal. They hadn't even proposed their idea yet!

Sarutobi, who was seated behind his desk, also shot an irritated glare at the man.

"I believe _I _am Hokage, Danzo," he said with ill-disguised impatience. "You do not hold sway over final decisions!"

Sarutobi then fixed Mikoto with a warm smile, which she gratefully returned. She knew that the Hokage would be eager to find another way to end the conflict that was bound to happen tonight.

"Go, on Mikoto," Sarutobi urged. "Why have you and your son come to us today? Is there a new development in the clan's plan of attack?"

Mikoto shook her head and looked briefly at Itachi, who shot her a reassuring smile. She felt her confidence grow. Their plan _would _work.

"No Hokage-sama," Mikoto replied. "Itachi and I actually have discovered a way that we can deal with the coup without violence. If you approve of our idea, we will put it into motion at once..."

"Preposterous!" scoffed Danzo with a sneer. "As I said: today _is _the day of the coup! There's nothing that can possibly be done to-"

"DANZO!" Sarutobi interrupted, banging a fist on his desk in utter annoyance. "That's enough! Remember your place!"

Danzo acquiesced, but shot Sarutobi a look full of loathing.

Mikoto barely suppressed a smirk at the old war-hawk's expression. It was nice to see him get taken down a few pegs. Danzo had been a thorn in the Uchiha's side for as long as she could remember. He constantly requested various clansmen to give up a child to his infamous 'Root' program; not that any of her fellow Uchiha ever did so. Because of this, he was one of the biggest proponents in constantly trying to limit the clan's influence in the village. No doubt, Danzo was one of many reasons her husband, Fugaku felt so slighted as of late and resorted to planning a revolt.

Sarutobi packed his pipe and lit it, taking a few short puffs. Koharu, who was standing to his immediate right, scowled deeply as the acrid fumes floated by her face.

"Now, Mikoto." He said calmly. "I am very interested to know what this idea of your is?"

Mikoto nodded and began to explain, hoping with all of her might that the Hokage and his advisors would put their full support behind her idea. It was either all or nothing: and Mikoto would _not _take no for an answer.

* * *

><p>Naruto smiled as he got ready for his day at the Academy. Normally, he would be wearing a deep frown as he prepared to go to class, as he found it to be the most boring thing in the world; but ever since he met his new friends: Sasame and Sai, he found that the Academy was a lot more bearable.<p>

He worried at first that once the other kids in his class told Sasame about his reputation in the village, she would quickly dismiss his offer of friendship, but the girl had surprised him the same day that he met her.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback: Two Days Ago – Lunchtime<strong>

Iruka had asked Naruto to show Sasame around the Academy seeing how well the two of them hit it off. So, when the bell rang around noon, signaling lunch, Naruto had quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"C'mon Sasame-chan!" Naruto beamed as he dragged his new friend toward the door. "We can eat lunch together!"

Sasame was rather flustered as the boy practically man-handled her out of the classroom and down the hall. She glanced back at the classroom door as they walked, and shook her hand free from Naruto's surprisingly firm grasp.

"What about Sasuke-san?" Sasame asked with concern. "Isn't he your friend? We should wait for him..."

Naruto waved her concern away with a sly grin.

"He'll catch up," Naruto replied casually. "This happens all the time. Besides, I know better than to get between Sasuke and his fan-girls!"

Sasame cocked her head to the side curiously as they made their way onto the lawn of the Academy.

"I was meaning to ask you," She said, making Naruto turn to look at her perplexedly. "What _is _a fan-girl?"

Naruto shuddered and grasped her shoulders, making her squeak slightly.

"Fan-girls are the scariest things known to man! Well, after ghosts," Naruto explained solemnly. "They're girls that for some reason, seem to be obsessed with Sasuke! There's no stopping them! They're crazy!"

Sasame blinked and giggled at Naruto.

"Silly boy," she admonished, making Naruto blink in confusion. "They're not crazy or anything like that; they just _like _him!"

Naruto squinted his eyes and frowned.

"Well, I _like _Sasuke too," Naruto retorted, crossing his arms. "But you don't see _me _trying to chase him down at ever waking moment!"

Sasame giggled again and shook her head.

"No, Naruto-san," Sasame replied. "You don't understand. You like Sasuke as a friend! They like him as something _more _than a friend."

Naruto tossed his hands into the air in irritation.

"So, you're saying that they like Sasuke like a _best friend_?! But, Sasuke's _my _best friend!"

Sasame sighed and shook her head. She got the feeling that Naruto just didn't understand what she was talking about. And upon looking at his confused face, she was positive that he definitely didn't.

"No, you're misunderstanding me, Naruto-san," Sasame continued desperately. "They don't like him in the same way that _you _do! They like Sasuke because-"

"Hey! New girl!" Shouted a girl's voice from somewhere nearby.

Naruto and Sasame turned to see a girl with purple hair and dark brown eyes standing with her arms crossed, looking at the two of them warily.

Sasame leaned over to Naruto and whispered:

"Naruto-san. Who is that?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"That's Ami," Naruto said with obvious dislike. "She's not exactly the n-"

Naruto's explanation was abruptly cut off as Ami marched over to the two of them and grasped Sasame's hand gently.

"Hey, you're name was Sasame, right?" Ami said genially.

Sasame nodded and Ami pulled her closer.

"I've got something I want to talk to you about, will you come with me?"

Sasame blinked and turned to look at Naruto, who was crossing his arms, looking very displeased. She turned back to look at Ami who gave her a winning smile.

"But, what about-" Sasame began, only to be cut off by Ami.

"Don't worry about _him_," Ami said, clearly referring to Naruto. "It'll only take a minute, please?"

Sasame shot Naruto an apologetic look before she walked away with Ami out of earshot of her new friend.

When they were at least a far enough distance away, Ami rounded on Sasame.

"Look," Ami began with a sigh. "You seem like a really nice girl, so I feel that it's only fair to warn you..."

Sasame blinked confusedly.

"Warn me about what, exactly?"

Ami glanced past her, making Sasame turn as well, only to discover that the girl was glaring at Naruto with barely concealed dislike.

"That boy, Naruto," Ami continued, now fixing her gaze back on Sasame. "He's bad news; everyone at the Academy knows it! You don't want to get mixed up with him!"

Sasame blinked in shock. From what she could gather, there wasn't anything that seemed _bad _about Naruto at all. He seemed perfectly nice, and friendly!

"I know you probably _think _he's a good guy," Ami added, almost as if she could read Sasame's thoughts. "But even the adults in the village don't like him. My mom says that he's _evil_!"

Sasame laughed, momentarily surprising Ami.

"Evil?" Sasame repeated. "I might not know Naruto-san that well yet, but he hardly qualifies as evil..."

"If that's the case," Ami replied, eager to get her point across to the misguided girl. "Then why doesn't anyone ever talk to him? You just got here, so you wouldn't know; but Naruto doesn't have any friends! No one wants to get near him!"

Sasame narrowed her eyes at the girl. Something about what Ami was saying about her new friend didn't make sense to her at all.

"What about Sasuke-san?" Sasame reasoned. "Naruto-san says that they're best friends!"

Ami snorted and rolled her eyes.

"And you _believe _him?" Ami laughed derisively. "Have you even seen Sasuke-kun talking to Naruto?"

Sasame's eyes narrowed slightly more. '_Kun'? _If Ami was using that honorific fir Sasuke, they must be close.

"Are you close to Sasuke-san, Ami-san?" Sasame asked curiously.

She immediately wished she hadn't. Upon hearing her question, Ami began to swoon.

"I'm not close to Sasuke-kun _yet,_" Ami sighed sadly. "But someday soon, he'll realize that I'm the only girl for him!"

Sasame's eye twitched. What was wrong with this girl!? They were only _seven _for crying out loud! Why was she thinking about things like love?!

And then she remembered what Naruto said about Sasuke's 'fan-girls'. Ami must be one of them.

"Okay, well thanks for the warning about Naruto-san, Ami-san," Sasame said as she slowly backed away from the love-struck girl.

Ami's dreamy expression melted from her face and slowly darkened.

"No problem," Ami said casually. "I just didn't want you to get mixed up with the wrong people on your first day! You're welcome to sit with me and the other girls if you're up for it!"

Sasame was sure that if Ami wasn't the type of person she wanted to hang around. Her blatant dismissal of Naruto was a sure sign of that.

"Uh, no thank you," Sasame said quickly, which made Ami scowl slightly. "I think I'm just going to eat alone. You know: I'm a little overwhelmed with all of the sudden information, first day and all!"

Ami's expression shifted to one of sympathy and she nodded with a smile.

"Oh, no problem!" Ami said as she turned to walk back to her table where Sasame assumed her friends were. She turned back around when she was a few paces away and added:

"And remember what I said!"

Sasame smiled and waved, but the moment Ami's back was turned, she frowned deeply.

'_What could possibly be wrong with Naruto-san?'_

* * *

><p>Sasame sat underneath the shade of a tree in the yard of the Academy with a frown on her face. She hadn't touched her boxed lunch at all. She simply sat there thinking deeply about what Ami had told her minutes ago.<p>

When Naruto had walked over to her, she quickly excused herself from him, using the same excuse she had used with Ami. She couldn't help but notice the hurt expression that filled his cerulean eyes as she did so, however, which made her feel terrible inside. She just wasn't sure what to make of the information Ami had told her about the whiskered boy.

"Mind if I join you?" Said a voice, causing Sasame to look up.

Before her stood the other new student: Sai. He was smiling that strange smile of his, that made a shiver run up Sasame's spine. She felt terrible all over again. She didn't know Sai. It would be rude of her to just make assumptions about him. So she smiled and nodded at the pale boy, who took a seat next to her.

"I couldn't help overhearing your conversation with that girl." Sai said out of the blue, momentarily shaking Sasame.

"You mean with Ami-san?" Sasame asked. Sai simply nodded. "Why were you listening in?"

Sai shrugged and seemed to wave off her question like it was unimportant.

"I was eating nearby," Sai replied, looking out at the other students who were all enjoying themselves during the break. "I didn't say anything, and I'm very good at masking my presence. People tend to not give me a second look..."

Sasame nodded, but still felt slighted that the boy was eavesdropping.

"Well, what about it?" Sasame asked quietly as she stared down at her boxed lunch in her lap. Sai turned to look at her.

"Do you believe her?" Sai asked simply.

Sasame blinked and looked at him. It was a fair question. Did she believe what Ami had said about Naruto? She _had _just met the girl.

"I find that if you want to get information about a target," Sai continued blankly. "It is best to get it from the source."

Sasame frowned at his odd choice of phrasing. Target? He was talking about people as if they weren't living things: like they were a scroll or a textbook. However, the boy had a point. The problem was: Sasame hadn't seen Naruto since she excused herself from eating with him.

"I suppose that makes sense," Sasame mumbled, making Sai look at her again. "But, I have no idea where Naruto-san went to ask..."

Sai continued to stare at her, which made Sasame immensely uncomfortable, but pointed upward at the tree they were sitting under. Sasame looked up and gasped, when she saw Naruto sitting high up on one of the tree's many branches.

'_How in the world did he get up there?' _Sasame thought in bewilderment.

Sasame was shaken from her thoughts when she noticed Sai stand up and holler:

"Uzumaki-san!"

She watched as Naruto glanced down and realized that he was being called to. He gathered up what looked like the remnants of his lunch and began to gracefully hop down the many branches of the tree, until he landed in front of them.

Sasame felt a pang of guilt in her chest when she realized that Naruto refused to make eye contact with her, instead opting to look at Sai in confusion.

"What?" Naruto said, in a somewhat grumpy tone. "You're the new guy, right? Sai?"

Sai nodded, and smiled his 'creepy smile'. He then glanced down at Sasame.

"I believe Fuma-san would like to ask you something?" Sai said, continuing to stare down at her.

For the first time since she had walked outside with him, Naruto fixed his gaze on her. She was surprised to see a multitude of emotions flicker in his blue orbs. Pain, anger, and regret?

Sasame blushed under his stern gaze and stammered:

"Are you really a bad person, Naruto-san?"

Naruto blinked and crossed his arms indignantly.

"Do I look like I'm a bad person?" He replied defensively.

It was Sasame's turn to blink. She looked at the boy who had been so kind to her this morning during class. Making her laugh and offering her friendship. She immediately felt horrible for doubting him.

"No, you don't." Sasame whispered. "I just don't understand why Ami-san told me that, then..."

Naruto's expression softened and he plopped down onto the grass in front of her and closed his eyes, seemingly in deep thought.

"I was going to warn you," Naruto began with a deep sigh. "That I'm not well-liked in the village for some reason."

Sasame's eyes widened. So what Ami said was true then?

"But," Naruto continued. He reopened his eyes and fixed Sasame with a look of deep regret. "I don't know why that is. I haven't done anything wrong! Except for those pranks I told you about!"

Sasame couldn't repress the giggles that sprung up as she remembered some of Naruto's anecdotes she was told earlier in class by him.

Naruto smiled slightly and continued:

"The villagers and a lot of the Academy kids all think that I'm bad for some reason, but I'm not! I'm the nicest guy around!"

Naruto struck an impressive pose that made Sasame laugh. Sai sat next to her, continuing to listen impassively.

"So, don't believe everything you hear about me!" Naruto said with a wide grin that warmed Sasame's heart. It was contagious, and soon she was smiling too.

"I'm sorry I ever doubted you, Naruto-san." Sasame replied at last, smiling at the whiskered boy who nodded his acceptance of her apology. Sasame then turned to Sai and smiled.

"Thanks for the talk earlier, Sai-san!" She said gratefully.

Sai just blinked.

"There's no need to thank me," Sai said flatly. "I merely supplied my opinion on the matter at hand..."

Naruto slapped Sai on the back and barked out a laugh.

"But that's why she's thanking you!" Naruto explained. "You helped her out!"

Sai continued to look at the two of them in bewilderment before nodding.

"If you say so, Uzumaki-san."

Naruto grinned happily as he sat with the two of them.

"Hey, since we cleared that whole thing up Sasame-chan, why don't we ask Sai to be our friend too?"

Sai tilted his head to the side.

"Friend?" He asked in utter confusion. Naruto and Sasame both blinked at him.

"You don't know what a friend is?" Sasame asked in surprise.

Sai shook his head and replied:

"I understand the concept, but why would you want to be friends with me?"

Naruto's grin widened.

"Do you really need a reason Sai?" Naruto asked gleefully. "Just say: yes!"

Sai glanced at the two smiling kids, and smiled in return.

"Sure."

Naruto whooped again, making Sasame giggle. Sai watched the two of them in confusion.

"I still have a full lunch," Sasame informed the two boys. "Why don't we all share?"

Naruto nodded eagerly.

"I'm still hungry!" He replied happily. "What do you say, Sai?"

Sai looked at Naruto and simply nodded.

Sasame watched the two of them with a small smile.

'_I must be pretty lucky,' _she thought. '_I've already made two new friends on my first day!'_

Her smile faded as she began to unwrap her lunch. A sudden thought had struck her, that caused her to feel sad.

'_I wish you could meet them, father.'_

Sasame was broken out of her thoughts when she realized that Naruto was literally shaking in anticipation, looking at her expectantly.

"Okay! Calm down Naruto-san!" She giggled. "There's plenty to go around!"

The three of them sat together as they ate, all of them happy (except Sai, who was still confused as to _why_ he was included) to have made new friends.

**End Flashback:**

* * *

><p>Naruto was happy to have made new friends in Sasame and Sai. It surprised him how just yesterday, he only had a friend in Sasuke! It was strange how quickly things could change!<p>

Thinking about change in of itself made Naruto's grin slip a bit. He still had yet to figure out what change his shadow warned him about. He frowned as he stepped out of his apartment, to witness a squad of ANBU whiz past over his roof.

In the last two days, Naruto had noticed an increase in shinobi activity, as if they were all preparing for something. What that 'something' was, Naruto had no clue; but he was put off by it.

The recent increase meant that he hadn't seen his ANBU guardian: Neko for the last two days. He missed talking to her in the mornings. Anko had informed him just yesterday during their afternoon training that she had to cancel their training today for some reason that she wouldn't explain. This didn't really strike Naruto as odd however: Anko would cancel their training from time to time, so she could go do other things, like hang out with her friend Kurenai, or go work at the Torture and Interrogation Department, where she was employed.

Naruto continued to frown as he made his way down his apartment steps and into the village. Now that he thought about it, his sensei had seemed somewhat worried when she had told him that they wouldn't be able to meet this afternoon. That was strange. He wondered what could possibly make Anko-sensei of all people worry. Was there something big going on?

Naruto shook his head of the depressing thoughts as he made his way through the village, only barely noticing the scowls and whispers from the villagers as he passed them by. He was determined to make today another good day, regardless of the looming threat of his shadow.

His thoughts were cut off when he noticed Sasuke walking a few paces ahead of him, the boy's shoulders hunched over, looking extremely broody. Naruto greeted him the only way he knew how:

"HEY! SASUUUKEEE!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs. Many villagers turned to look at him with angry glares for being so loud, so early in the morning: but Naruto didn't care.

Naruto watched as Sasuke turned to look over his shoulder at him, and was surprised when his friend continued walking, like he didn't even register who he was!

Naruto frowned.

Another thing that had changed in the last few days was Sasuke's mood. He was completely distant all of a sudden. Naruto had no idea what was on the boy's mind! He had half a mind to run up to the Uchiha and demand to know what he was acting differently for, but then remembered that he had sworn not to pry into his friend's business.

Naruto sighed as he resumed walking, watching Sasuke's back as he did so.

Sasuke had gotten so bad that he wouldn't really even talk with Naruto during their time together in the Academy. Instead, the boy opted to sit alone most of the time during break, ignoring his fan-girls, and think. That wasn't so abnormal in Naruto's opinion however: normally that was what Sasuke _usually _did during lunch. It was _outside_ of class that the boy was starting to act very peculiar. Normally, Naruto and Sasuke would talk after class, discussing various things or train from time to time, but lately, Sasuke had taken to simply leaving the Academy without so much as a goodbye to Naruto, and stalked back home.

Naruto clenched his jaw as the thoughts bounced around his head. Suddenly, he heard Kurama chime in from the recesses of his mind:

"**Listen brat: I know that you swore to leave your Uchiha meat-sack friend alone, but why don't you just go **_**ask **_**him what's wrong? It's really annoying listening to you whine about it!"**

_'If Sasuke wants to tell me, he will!' _Naruto argued back mentally. _'I can't force him to tell me if he doesn't want to!'_

There was silence as Naruto waited to hear what Kurama would say next. Finally, his tenant replied:

**"What's the harm in simply asking, then?" **The fox reasoned. **"Maybe he's just waiting for you to ask!"**

Naruto stopped walking as he considered Kurama's point. Could Sasuke be waiting for him to simply ask?

His mind made up, Naruto ran towards his friend, determined to find out what was going on to make him so moody lately. Imagine Naruto's surprise when Sasuke wheeled around and fixed him with a very solemn expression etched on his face.

"Naruto." Sasuke said darkly, causing Naruto to look at his friend in concern.

"I've got to tell you something."

**AN:**** As always: let me know what you think guys! Afroman007 out!**


	27. Chapter 27

**AN:**** Whoo! An _extra_ long chapter for you folks! This chapter is bursting full of stuff I hope you'll all enjoy! As always: I appreciate those of you that have taken the time to send me a review to let me know what you think of the story! It always helps me write when I can hear what you guys are thinking, and try to take those thoughts into account! Well, without further ado I give you Ch. 27!**

**Chapter 27: The Uchiha Conflict Part I:**

"Uchiha, Sasuke!" Called the voice of Iruka Umino as he went down his list for roll. He looked up from his clipboard and frowned when he did not hear a reply from the raven-haired boy. He scanned the classroom in confusion, wondering if the boy had decided to move seats. He became even more confused when he realized that the boy was nowhere to been seen.

_ 'That's odd.' _Iruka thought as he marked the boy down on his list as absent. _'Sasuke has never missed class before. Did something come up?'_

Iruka looked up once more from his clipboard and scanned the room, looking for a head of spiky blonde hair.

_'Naruto is absent as well...' _Iruka noticed, although, _that _didn't surprise him at all. Naruto was notorious for over-sleeping. In fact, Iruka wouldn't be surprised if the blonde knucklehead sped through the door at any second. He didn't even bother calling out the boy's name, and marked him down as absent as well.

Iruka's brow furrowed. Naruto he could definitely understand, but _Sasuke_? The boy had never missed a day of class. Not even once.

An ominous thought struck Iruka. Unlike almost every other chuunin in the village, Iruka was aware of what was going to happen tonight. The Hokage had informed just yesterday that the Uchiha clan would be staging a coup. To say he was shocked would be an understatement. He was completely bewildered. He didn't understand why a clan that was so well-respected, so well-loved would ever think of doing such a thing! The Uchiha helped found the Hidden Leaf for Kami's sake!

Iruka shook his head of the thoughts and glanced back around the room once more, making sure he didn't pass Sasuke up by accident. Deep down, he knew he hadn't made a mistake, but he didn't want to face the truth of what Sasuke's absence meant. Which was: the boy was going to be a part of the revolt!

The mere thought sickened Iruka. Sasuke was a child! A very talented child, but the fact remained! This would be a civil war! It was no place for a child! Iruka felt an undercurrent of anger fill him. There must be something seriously wrong with the Uchiha if they were going to use their own children as part of their attack plan.

"Ano, I-Iruka-sensei?" Came the meek voice of Hinata Hyuga, making Iruka look up from his clipboard once more. "Are you alright?"

Iruka blinked and looked around the classroom to see all of his students looking at him strangely. He shook his head slightly, banishing all other thoughts from his mind. He was a sensei! Now was not the time to dwell on other things!

Iruka smiled kindly as he regarded the shy girl.

"Yes, I'm fine Hinata," he said. "I'm just a bit tired is all..."

Hinata blushed and nodded slightly and began to poke her fingers together nervously. Iruka felt bad for the girl. She was so kind, but way too shy. It was a wonder he heard her speak up at all.

Iruka set down his clipboard and began to write today's lesson on the chalkboard, all the while stealing glances at the classroom door. He expected Naruto to come bursting through it any moment now, to at least bring some form of normalcy back to the day. He was disappointed however, when he completely finished writing his lesson, only to find that the boy was still a no-show. He sighed, putting down his piece of chalk and turned to begin his lecture, desperately hoping that his two students were alright.

* * *

><p>Sai was confused.<p>

He had arrived at the Academy only to find that his target was not present. He would've left to go search for him, but by the time he became aware that Naruto was not going to show up, Iruka had already begun his lecture.

The boy frowned as he glanced over at Sasame, who was listening to Iruka with a worried expression on her face. Sai assumed she was troubled about Naruto's absence. He was their friend after all.

Sai blinked when that thought crossed his mind. '_Their'? _He shook his head slightly as he continued to 'listen' to Iruka ramble on about the differences between ninjutsu and genjutsu. Contrary to what was said only two days ago between Naruto, Sasame, and himself, Sai didn't consider anyone to be his friend. In fact, the whole idea of friendship was alien to him.

He had been taught by Lord Danzo that friendship, like emotions, was a hindrance to a true shinobi. A shinobi used what was needed to fulfill his mission. If he had comrades that helped him fulfill this goal: all the better. But if they slowed him down, they would have to be left behind for the sake of the mission. The completion of the mission, was all that mattered in the end. Therefore, Sai did not understand why friendship was such a commonplace thing in a village full of shinobi. Wouldn't everyone be better served to only focus on accomplishing their given tasks to the best of their ability? Why would one hamper their success as a ninja over such idle things such as friends? Lord Danzo had used an example about a famous ninja named Sakumo Hatake, also known as the White Fang of Konoha, to enforce why caring about one's comrades was folly.

Hatake had been given a mission where in the end he was left with two choices: completing the mission successfully, but losing all of his comrades in the process, or: abandoning the mission to save them. The White Fang, much to Sai's bewilderment: had chosen the latter. Because of this, Danzo had explained, Hatake was vilified by not only his comrades, but the whole of the village and the Land of Fire for his actions. Hatake fell into a deep depression afterwards, and committed suicide in shame.

The story had stuck with Sai, and was ingrained into his very being. He swore to _never _be like Sakumo Hatake. He would complete his mission, regardless of what became of his comrades. The village came first: everything else; even his own life, came after.

Sai was shaken from his thoughts when the classroom door slid open. He narrowed his eyes at the door, hoping to see Naruto enter. Instead, a jounin with gravity-defying hair and a lazy look in his only visible eye strode in. He walked calmly towards Iruka, who looked at the man concernedly, and whispered something to him. Iruka's eye's widened and he nodded. The strange jounin's eye creased in what seemed to be a smile, and he shunshined from the room.

"What was that about, Iruka-sensei!?" Came the loud voice of Kiba, who had watched the proceedings with great interest.

Iruka chuckled and waved the boy's question off dismissively.

"Just some ninja business," the scarred man replied cheerfully. "Nothing for you to worry about!"

Sai watched as the Inuzuka boy sunk into his chair with a skeptical expression. Sai then fixed his gaze on Iruka and wasn't surprised to see a hint of anxiousness on the man's face.

_'I wonder what he was told?' _Sai thought. Whatever it was, it had bothered Iruka greatly. The man continued with his lecture, but seemed somewhat distracted. The other students seemed to notice the same thing Sai did, because hushed whispers broke out throughout the room. Sai felt a stare directed at him and turned to meet the gaze of Sasame who had a confused expression on her face. Sai had no idea how to comfort the girl, so he simply shot her a reassuring smile in return. Sasame didn't seem to gain any solace from it however, and went back to listening to Iruka with an anxious look etched upon her face.

The day dragged on until it was finally lunchtime. Sai promptly got up from his seat and began to make his way towards the classroom door. He had decided over the course of the morning that he needed to find Naruto. Building up a reputation as an Academy student was all well in good for his cover, but it was not the main objective of his mission parameters. His mission was to solely observe Naruto Uzumaki. And that was what he was going to do.

He had made it down one flight of stairs and was halfway down the hallway when Sasame caught up with him.

"Hey Sai-san," she greeted with a smile. "What's the big hurry?"

Sai stopped and looked at her, noticing that as he did so, she seemed to flinch slightly. '_How odd.' _He thought.

"I suppose I am just eager to get some fresh air." Sai lied. He wasn't going to blow his cover just to appease this girl's curiosity. But now, he was stuck with a problem: how would he be able to leave to search for Naruto with Sasame present? He frowned as he continued to walk down the hall, the girl matching stride with him.

"So," Sasame began, obviously eager to initiate some form of conversation again. "What do you think that jounin said to Iruka-sensei earlier? Any thoughts, Sai-san?"

Sai said nothing as he continued to walk, although he _was _thinking about it. The situation was not uncommon. Iruka _was _an active ninja in Konoha's forces. It would not be so odd for him to be told something of importance, regardless of whether or not he was occupied with lecturing a class. That wasn't what had Sai intrigued at all. What _did _pique his interest however, was how whatever was told to the man affected him greatly. Sadly, Sai did not have enough information to piece together a likely reason for the man's anxiousness.

"I have no idea." Sai replied at last, as the two of them exited the Academy building and made their way onto the school grounds.

Sasame sighed and looked back and forth expectantly.

"I wonder where Naruto-san and Sasuke-san are today?" She said with a frown.

Sai turned to look at her and blinked.

He had completely overlooked the fact that the Uchiha boy was absent as well! This changed things drastically. Could Naruto be with him? If so, what could have possibly come up to warrant their absence from class?

"I don't know." Sai answered. "Perhaps they will show up for lunch?"

Sasame nodded slowly, but continued to look around with a worried expression on her face. Sai felt a bit of irritation that he quickly squashed. It would do him no good to get worked up over Sasame's interference in his departure. He needed to find a way to shake her off, so he could begin his search.

Luckily, he got it in the form of the same girl who had caused problems for Naruto and Sasame a few days ago: Ami.

"Hey, Sasame-chan!" Ami called happily as she made her way over to the two of them.

Sai observed Sasame's face fall as the purple-haired girl approached. He was aware that Sasame might be hesitant to make any contact with the girl who had made her doubt her friendship with Naruto, but he needed to encourage the situation. That way, he would be free of Sasame and able to go forward with his own plans.

"Hi Ami-san." Sasame replied somewhat flatly. "How are you?"

Ami grinned as she stopped in front of them. She gave Sai a dismissive glance (not that he cared) and turned to look at Sasame.

"I'm great!" She replied. "I see that _Naruto's _not with you today! How about sitting with me for lunch?"

Sasame frowned at the girl's offer, but before she could turn it down, Sai stepped in.

"I think that's a great idea, Sasame." He said encouragingly.

Sasame turned to look at him in confusion.

"But," she stammered. "Where are you-?"

"I need to speak with Iruka-sensei about the lesson," Sai quickly lied. He was surprised at how easily he had found a solution to his problem with Sasame. "There were a few things I didn't quite understand. Go with Ami-san. I'll catch up with you two after I'm done!"

Sasame looked like she wanted to argue, but didn't get the chance. Ami wrapped her arm around her shoulders and began to lead her away.

"Don't worry, Sasame-chan!" Ami consoled. "It's not like I'm going to bite you or anything! Let's go!"

Sai watched stoically as the two girls walked away, barely catching Sasame's slightly hurt look as he turned away and walked back towards the Academy.

Sai entered the building and walked down the hallway towards the classroom, but then took a sharp left down an adjoining hallway. It wouldn't do if Sasame somehow slipped away from Ami and followed after him. He knew that she would find out that he had left class anyway, and would probably confront him about it, but it didn't matter to him. He had no reason to have to justify himself to her.

Sai made his way out an emergency exit and into the the village, quickly jumping onto the nearest rooftop, eager to get back to fulfilling his mission.

* * *

><p>Naruto followed Sasuke as they walked silently down the streets of the village.<p>

'_What could Sasuke want to tell me?' _Naruto wondered. He hoped his friend was going to divulge a reason for his strange behavior lately. Looking at the Uchiha boy, Naruto found that his friend had a completely blank face as he continued to stare forward, intent on walking.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto began slowly as they rounded a corner leading away from the Academy. "The Academy is the other way: we'll miss class?"

Sasuke continued to walk for a few paces before he replied:

"Forget about class. Besides, since when did you care about getting to class on time?"

Naruto scowled at Sasuke's reply, but then smiled slightly. That was the first time in days that Sasuke had actually acted like his old self.

"Where are we going then? Is what you have to tell me a secret?" Naruto asked, looking at his friend with a curious expression on his face.

Sasuke stopped for just a moment, before he resumed walking again.

"I want to make sure we're not overheard," Sasuke replied darkly. "And yeah, Naruto: it's most _definitely _a secret."

Naruto frowned as the two of them made their way towards the outskirts of the Market District and towards the forest inside Konoha's walls. They continued on into the cover of the thick canopy of trees until they reached a small clearing about a quarter-mile in. Sasuke abruptly stopped in the middle of the clearing and turned to face Naruto, who looked at his friend expectantly.

"Well," Naruto said impatiently. "Are you gonna tell me why you've been acting so strange lately?"

Sasuke took a deep breath and sighed, looking up at the small bit of sky that was visible from the clearing.

"I recently overheard something that I shouldn't have..." He replied in an uneasy voice.

Naruto cocked an eyebrow in interest.

"What was it?"

Sasuke looked down at the ground for a moment before returning his gaze on Naruto.

"I overheard my parents arguing about something the other night, so I listened in. It got pretty heated..."

Naruto wanted to headbutt his friend. Why couldn't Sasuke just spit it out!?

"What were they arguing about?" Naruto asked, a tone of impatience in his voice.

"My father...My father was trying to convince my mother of something. Something really bad." Answered Sasuke with a pained look etched on his features.

Naruto felt his impatience wither away. From the look on Sasuke's face, whatever he had overheard must've been terrible.

"What was your dad trying to convince her of?"

Sasuke said nothing for several moments, that seemed like hours to Naruto, before he finally replied in a soft whisper:

"My father is planning a coup against Konoha."

Naruto stared at Sasuke for a full ten seconds before he began to chuckle, which soon turned into full-blown laughter.

"A coup!? Against Konoha! You're kidding, Sasuke! There's no way-!"

"I'm not kidding you idiot!" Sasuke growled, clenching his fists in indignation. Naruto stopped laughing at once upon hearing his friend's heated retort.

"Wait," Naruto gasped. "The Uchiha are _really _planning a coup!?"

Sasuke nodded glumly and plopped down onto the ground, his hands tangled in his hair in frustration.

Naruto crouched down at his friend's side and placed a hand on his shoulder awkwardly. When Sasuke didn't shrug him off, Naruto replied softly:

"When?"

Sasuke raked his hands through his hair and then ran them down his face dejectedly.

"Tonight." He answered. "The attack is planned to happen tonight..."

Naruto was silent for a long while after Sasuke's reply. The Uchiha? A coup? Sure, Naruto wasn't the Uchiha's greatest fan, but even he knew what would happen to Sasuke's clan if they tried to rebel against the village. They would be crushed. Annihilated. Naruto never had a family, so he couldn't even begin to imagine how hard a toll the situation was weighing on his friend. It was his clan, his family that stood a very strong chance of getting wiped out for treason, if they failed in their attempt. And Naruto had no delusions that the Uchiha would succeed.

"What are we gonna do?" Naruto replied at last.

Sasuke raised his head and looked at Naruto in bewilderment. He had only told him about the coup because he couldn't stand holding in the information anymore. Now, Naruto: who had no affiliation to the Uchiha, no obligation or responsibility wanted to help?

"What do you mean 'we'?!" Sasuke asked in confusion.

Naruto looked at Sasuke like he had just sprouted three heads.

"What do you mean: 'What do I mean!?" Naruto responded incredulously. "Of _course _I mean 'we'! What can I do to help stop it!?"

Sasuke blinked, and then began to chuckle humorlessly.

"Naruto," Sasuke sighed, shaking his head. "There's nothing we _can _do. It's completely beyond us! My clan is going to attack the village tonight: there's nothing we can do to stop them! We're just Academy students!"

Naruto furrowed his brow in agitation.

"Maybe _we _can't," Naruto began earnestly. "But, I know someone who _can_!"

Sasuke looked up at Naruto with a puzzled expression.

"Who could you possibly know that could stop it?" He asked skeptically.

Naruto flashed his friend a grin.

"The Hokage, stupid!"

Sasuke's eyes widened and he hopped to his feet, looking at Naruto with wild, but hopeful eyes.

"You're right!" Sasuke said breathlessly. "But, how can we talk to him? Won't he be busy-?"

Naruto waved aside Sasuke's question.

"Easy." Naruto replied smugly. "I'm allowed to talk to the Old Man whenever I want! If we hurry, we might be able to catch him before he goes into a meeting or something!"

Sasuke didn't need any more incentive, and began to run back towards the village, Naruto right next to him.

Naruto frowned as the two of them broke through the cover of the forest and began to race toward the Hokage Tower as fast as their legs would carry them. They only had one chance to get this right, otherwise Sasuke stood the risk of losing everything! Naruto knew what it felt like to not have a family, and he wouldn't wish it on anyone: not even his worst enemy.

'_I hope you can do something Old Man,' _Naruto pleaded mentally. _'No: you have to do something!'_

* * *

><p>Fugaku Uchiha smirked as he looked over a scroll containing his battle plans for tonight's attack. It was a masterpiece. He rolled the scroll up and placed it in his robes, where it would be safe from peering eyes. That was especially important in a clan that prided itself on their incredible eyesight. It wasn't that he didn't trust his fellow clansmen however: Fugaku simply wanted to make sure everything went according to plan.<p>

Fugaku was well-aware that several of his clansmen might fall tonight in battle, but at least they would die knowing that they fought for a noble cause. The Uchiha were the most powerful clan in Konoha: therefore, they had no reason to be second-best to anyone. Not even the Hokage. Tonight would be the night that the Uchiha finally reclaim what their ancestor, Madara was denied: complete control of the village.

The sheer thought filled Fugaku with elation. He felt honored that he would be the one to usher in this magnificent change! How the Uchiha would sing his praises when he was finally given the title of Hokage! He had coveted the position ever since his youth. He had even been nominated to become the Fourth Hokage, along with Orochimaru and Minato Namikaze.

Fugaku's brow furrowed in repulsion. He had felt completely robbed when he did not become the Fourth. It was obvious that he was the best choice of the three candidates! He thought about his competition at the time and frowned further.

Orochimaru was one of the candidates. A natural choice for the position at the time. The man was one of the three legendary Sannin: a Konoha legend. He was intelligent and gifted. Fugaku knew at the time that Orochimaru was most likely to get the position, he was the student of the Third for Kami's sake! But for whatever reason: Orochimaru was not chosen.

It all ended up being for the best however, the man was just as much of a snake as the summons he was famous for using. A traitor to the Leaf. He was found by the Third and one of his fellow Sannin, the Toad Sage, Jiraiya, doing horrific experiments on citizens and shinobi of the village alike! The wily snake had fled the village, heading for places unknown. Fugaku shivered at what might have become of Konoha if Sarutobi had granted the twisted man the title of the Fourth Hokage.

His thoughts then turned on the other candidate: Minato Namikaze, also known as the Yellow Flash of Konoha. The man that had single-handedly ended the Third Great Shinobi War with a single jutsu: the Hiraishin, butchering over 200 Iwa shinobi in seconds. The massive slaughter of it's troops cause Iwa to surrender, which started a domino effect as the other warring nations finally conceded defeat, putting Konoha on top. Namikaze had come home a war hero, beloved by the village for his heroic deeds.

Fugaku hated him.

He had know Namikaze since their Academy days. The boy that would grow into the feared Yellow Flash was just as bright, just as able. Fugaku spent much of his time in the blonde-haired boy's shadow. It was unacceptable! He was an Uchiha! The best of his clan, the shining example of a true sharingan prodigy! It shamed him to be second-best to a clanless nobody such as Namikaze. Imagine his outrage when the same boy he spent years trying to overcome in both status and skill, ascending to the very highest seat of power!

Fugaku clenched his jaw in annoyance, but then relaxed. It was all moot-point now, the man was dead. Namikaze had died fighting against the monstrous Kyuubi no Youko seven years ago. But not before sealing the beast away into a child.

A child that was now friends with his youngest son: Sasuke. Just seeing the boy filled Fugaku with rage. Leave it to soft-hearted Namikaze to leave the job half-finished! Instead of destroying the wicked beast utterly, the fool had simply contained the beast inside the facade of a child, who dared to act like it had done nothing to deserve the scorn and hatred of the villagers! And then, imagine his complete shock when his son had come home with the _thing _and claimed to have befriended it! He was incensed! He cursed Sarutobi for passing that law that forbid him from telling his son just what the boy really _was_!

Fugaku smiled. Once he toppled Sarutobi, he would make sure that revoking that edict was a matter of top-priority. He was sure no one who knew of the boy's true nature would protest.

Speaking of his sons, Fugaku scowled as he thought about his eldest son: Itachi. He had never truly understood the boy. He was everything that an Uchiha should strive to be! A master of the sharingan, an ANBU Captain at 13! A prodigy in the eyes of the village! However, his son completely refused to be labeled as any of these things. He claimed to only want to protect the village to the best of his ability. Fugaku clicked his tongue in distaste. Such a waste. Itachi would make a fine heir if he wasn't so misguided. But his son would soon see how misguided he was, when the _village _he was so adamant to protect fell to it's rightful rulers. Yes, Itachi would surely understand how fortunate he was to be an Uchiha. Surely.

Fugaku sighed as he tightened his robes and made his way out of his home. He had meant to speak with his wife, Mikoto, to tell her where the children and noncombatants would be staying during the attack, but the woman was nowhere to be found. He simply resolved to tell her when he saw her at the gathering before the attack tonight.

As of late, his wife had been acting rather strangely however. He could not easily forget how fiercely the woman had argued against his plans of a revolt. She had called his plan 'madness'. But at last, she had come to see it his way. Just last night she had apologized for her dismissal of his idea and thrown her support fully behind the coup. Fugaku was relieved, to say the least. He already had to deal with the unease of not knowing where Itachi's loyalties truly lay: he didn't want to have to question his wife's.

He greeted his fellow clansmen as he made his way down the street at an easy-going pace. He was aware of several ANBU that attempted to conceal themselves from his sight. The fools. They truly did not know the power his eyes held. He ignored them in favor of observing his clan:his people as they went about their daily business, while he meandered through the district. He smiled as he thought about how very soon it would be that the fan insignia of the Uchiha would proudly be displayed all over the village, clearly stating the clan's dominance.

_'Soon,' _Fugaku thought with grim satisfaction. _'How very soon indeed...'_

* * *

><p>Naruto and Sasuke arrived at the Hokage Tower, completely out of breath after running non-stop. They swiftly entered the tall building and made their way past several surprised ninja and attendants alike, as they dashed towards the office of the Hokage.<p>

Reaching the top of the stairs, they took a moment to gather themselves.

"Okay, Sasuke," Naruto said. "We need to tell the Old Man _everything _about the attack. How much do you know about your father's plans?"

Sasuke shook his head dejectedly.

"That's just the thing," he replied miserably. "I only know _when _the attack is planned and that it's going to happen."

Naruto frowned and crossed his arms in thought.

"I tried to find out more information," Sasuke continued in a hopeless tone. "But there wasn't anyway to go about it without my father getting suspicious..."

Naruto nodded.

"Well, at least we know a little bit," Naruto reasoned. "As long as the Old Man can at least prepare for it, then we've done the best we can!"

Sasuke nodded, but Naruto could tell his friend felt awful that he wasn't able to do more. Naruto placed a consoling hand on Sasuke's shoulder and squeezed.

"Don't worry Sasuke," Naruto with a determined expression etched upon his features. "I promise that I'll do everything I possibly can to make sure we can save your family!"

Sasuke nodded gratefully and the two continued on at a brisk pace towards the Hokage's office.

Upon arriving, they were met with the stern voice of the Hokage's secretary: Kimiko.

"And just _what _do you think you're doing here, boy?" Kimiko spat as she looked up from her 'paperwork' (Naruto knew it was probably a beauty magazine) and noticed the two of them.

Naruto rolled his eyes. He didn't have time to deal with Kimiko's crap right now.

"Listen lady! I need to talk to the Old Man! It's urgent!" He retorted.

Kimiko huffed.

"Shouldn't you be in class right now?" Kimiko asked scornfully. "I doubt the Hokage has time to talk to a truant child!"

Naruto bristled with anger and took a step forward to retort, when Sasuke beat him to the punch.

"Listen woman," Sasuke hissed in a dangerous tone. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha, of the Uchiha Clan! We demand that you give us an audience with the Hokage immediately: or I'll report this to my father! You don't want him as your enemy!"

Naruto found it ironic that Sasuke was throwing his father's name around, when the man was the very person they had come to warn the Hokage about in the first place. However, Sasuke's threat seemed to sober Kimiko's stubborn attitude slightly because she flinched, and replied in a much more reasonable tone:

"The Hokage is having an emergency meeting with the Council," Kimiko informed them. "I don't know when it will be done."

Naruto's eyes widened. Of all the times for the Old Man to be debating with those pompous idiots!

"But we need to see him, now!" Naruto pleaded.

Kimiko shot him a sharp glare.

"I can't interrupt a council meeting!" She snapped, her calm disposition giving way to annoyance again. "Besides, if whatever you have to tell him about is so important _boy _tell me and I will deliver the message to him!"

Naruto blinked. He didn't like Kimiko at all, but she _was _the Old Man's secretary. Surely, he could trust her to tell the Old Man about the impending coup, right?

Naruto glanced over at Sasuke who shook his head slightly, while giving him a warning look. Naruto nodded.

"I-I can't," Naruto sighed, shaking his head. "I have to tell the Old Man directly..."

"Well, that's too bad," Kimiko said, with a hint of a smirk. "You two are welcome to wait, however: I wouldn't be surprised if a truancy shinobi wanders through here and drags you back to class"

Naruto clenched his fists in outrage at Kimiko. The woman didn't understand how urgent and important it was that they get their information to the Old Man as quickly as possible!

He growled and stepped forward again to argue his point, when he felt a hand clasp his shoulder tightly.

"Whoa there kiddo!" Came a familiar voice.

Naruto spun around to see his sensei: Anko.

"Anko-sensei!" Naruto yelled in relief.

Anko cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"What's up brat," Anko said suspiciously. "You're not usually this happy to see me!"

Sasuke, who was glaring daggers at Kimiko, walked over.

"Anko-san," Sasuke said politely. "We need your help!"

Anko raised both eyebrows at Sasuke's polite tone and request.

"What could you possibly need my help for?" She asked curiously.

Naruto and Sasuke both shot a wary glance at Kimiko who was watching their exchange with obvious suspicion and annoyance.

"We can't tell you here, sensei," Naruto whispered. "Will you come with us for a moment?"

Anko looked at the two boys for a moment, sighed and nodded. Naruto and Sasuke both shot her a grateful grin and began to walk down the hallway until they were well out earshot of Kimiko.

Naruto explained the situation to his sensei, with Sasuke chiming in from time to time, and when they were finished Anko sighed and shook her head.

"I'm going to get in _big _trouble for telling you brats this," she began in exasperation. "But the Old Man already _knows _about the coup."

Naruto and Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise. Finally, Sasuke seemed to get over his shock and choked out:

"What? But how...?"

Anko grinned.

"You didn't really think that the Uchiha clan could possibly plan a coup right under the Old Man's nose did you?"

When Anko noticed the skeptical looks on both boys' faces she sighed.

"Look," she continued. "The Hokage has eyes and ears _everywhere_. He always knows what's happening in the village!"

Naruto gave Anko a knowing look, which she balked at.

"Okay," she conceded. "Almost ninety-nine percent of the time!"

Naruto opened his mouth to retort, but Anko cut him off.

"Look," she went on, ignoring Naruto's indignant expression. "The Old Man has the situation well at hand! There's no need for you two to worry about it-"

"There's no need!" Sasuke growled. "It's _my _clan that's staging the coup!"

Anko rolled her eyes.

"Look brat," she said in an equally dangerous tone. "You're just an Academy student. Chances are: you won't even be involved. The coup will be made up of full-fledged Uchiha shinobi. You'll probably be put somewhere safe by your father. He wouldn't want to run the risk of something happening to Uchiha who can't join the fight!"

Sasuke clenched his fists in anger.

"I can fight!" He roared.

Anko narrowed her eyes at the young Uchiha boy.

"Oh?" She hissed venomously. "And will you fight against the village then?"

Sasuke's anger drained almost instantly from his face, and was replaced by a look of shame.

"No," he whispered softly. "I-I just-"

Anko placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Trust me kiddo," she replied with a grin. "Apparently, there's something in the works that may be able to stop any kind of violence from happening..."

Sasuke and Naruto looked at Anko with a mixture of surprise and hope.

"Really?" Naruto breathed. "What's the plan, sensei?"

Anko frowned at her whiskered student.

"Beats me," she replied casually, causing both boys to sweat-drop. "I just know that there _is _one. Now, I have a question for you two..."

Both boys looked at each other in confusion before Naruto replied:

"What, sensei?"

Anko said nothing for a moment, before her face darkened considerably, sending a chill down their spines.

"Why aren't you two in class right now?" She asked a little too sweetly.

Naruto and Sasuke both gulped.

"W-well, A-Anko-san," Sasuke began, backing up with Naruto in fear. "W-we wanted to tell the H-Hokage...?"

Anko smiled sinisterly and grasped both of their heads. With a flourish she knocked them together, and roared:

"GET BACK TO THE ACADEMY, OR SO HELP ME KAMI!"

Needless to say, Iruka was quite relieved and confused when he saw Naruto and Sasuke, both shaking for some reason, appear in class shortly after lunch.

* * *

><p>Nightfall came much too soon for Itachi Uchiha. Currently, the thirteen-year-old boy stood, fully dressed for combat with a large scroll on his back, with his mother beside him. They made their way through the darkness of the Uchiha District with purpose, neither one saying a word, as they approached a large gathering of their clansmen.<p>

On a raised dais stood Itachi's father and Mikoto's husband: Fugaku, organizing various clansmen into squads and giving out orders. The two Uchiha pushed their way through the crowd, making their way towards Fugaku, ignoring the greetings of their fellows. After several minutes the two of them reached him and waited patiently until he finished directing yet another squad to their attack positions.

When Fugaku noticed his eldest son and wife, he smiled.

"I was wondering where you two went off too!" He said cheerfully.

Itachi was instantly wary of his father. He _rarely _ever smiled. Itachi assumed that the fervor of his upcoming revolt was causing him to take on a much more easy-going demeanor. In fact, now that Itachi thought about: his father had seemed more upbeat the last few days. The sight of his father caused a prickle of rage to begin building in the pit of his stomach, that he quickly forced down.

"Father." Itachi said flatly. Mikoto inclined her head at her husband and shot him a warm smile.

Fugaku grasped Itachi's shoulders and fixed his eyes on his son, with a gleam of pride.

"I knew you would come to your senses Itachi," Fugaku said, giving Itachi's shoulders an affectionate squeeze. "You'll see. Soon the Uchiha will have what is rightfully theirs!"

Itachi said nothing and belied no expression at his father's declaration, choosing simply to listen as Fugaku continued to speak.

"You'll make a fine heir to the Uchiha Clan, son."

Mikoto looked at Itachi out of the corner of her eye and he nodded almost imperceptibly.

Itachi hefted the large scroll off of his back and set it on the ground, momentarily surprising Fugaku.

"You see, that's just the thing, father." Itachi said as he began to unfurl the scroll, placing it down on the ground so it lay flat.

"I will make a fine heir."

Itachi slammed his hand down on a complex sealing array and channeled his chakra through it, making the scroll glow with bright blue light. Fugaku took a step back in surprise, and many of the Uchiha gathered around whirled to see what all of the commotion was about.

There was a large poof of smoke that filled the area, and many cries of surprise and alarm were heard from the Uchiha gathered, who were momentarily blinded by the smokescreen.

Finally, the smoke cleared, revealing a man holding a smaller scroll, and Fugaku's eyes widened in surprise.

"ITACHI!" Fugaku roared in outrage. "YOU WOULD DARE-!?"

Itachi smiled at his father. A full on grin of satisfaction.

"Oh yes, father." Itachi answered casually. "I would."

**AN:**** Well, there you have it folks! The first half of my version of the Uchiha conflict! I hope you enjoyed it, and stay tuned for Part II, which will also be the resolution! Will Itachi and Mikoto's plan work? Or will Fugaku have his way? What will Naruto and Sasuke do? Will Sai ever catch up with his target? And what will happen to poor Sasame? Find out this and more in the next chapter of The Fox's Shadow! Afroman007 out! **


	28. Chapter 28

**AN:**** And here it is ladies and gentlemen! The conclusion to the Uchiha conflict! This sucker was a monster: 9,000 words! I hope you enjoy it! As always R&R!**

**Chapter 28: The Uchiha Conflict Part II:**

Naruto was having what he would consider: a very crappy rest of the day. After almost getting Sasuke and himself practically mauled by Anko, the two boys had sprinted full tilt to the Academy, barging in through the classroom door with an all-mighty crash, much to the surprise of Iruka and their fellow classmates.

Needless to say, Naruto and Sasuke received a rather stern lecture from Iruka after class, and then had to endure the ceaseless amount of questions shot at them by their curious classmates, who were eager to find out what the two boys had gotten into while skipping class. Of course, Naruto and Sasuke refused to divulge the real story, instead opting to spin a tale about an elaborate prank that Naruto had goaded Sasuke into helping him with, only to end up getting caught by a whole squad of ANBU. Naturally, their classmates scoffed at their story, commenting that Naruto had probably just slowed Sasuke down resulting in the two of them getting busted for what was probably a stupid prank Naruto had concocted anyways. But all of that was fine with Naruto. They didn't know what was going to happen tonight, and in Naruto's opinion: it was best left that way...

Sasuke had ceased being so moody, only to become a nervous wreck. Naruto had almost snapped at his friend during a lecture on the ninja rules of conduct for drumming his fingers maddeningly on their desk. Ironically, the rule of conduct being reviewed was patience.

Naruto understood his friend's anxiety however, because he was feeling the same. Over the past year, Naruto had grown somewhat close to Sasuke's mother, Mikoto, and found somewhat of a role-model to look up to in Itachi: Sasuke's older brother. Besides those two though, (with an obvious exception of Sasuke, of course) Naruto didn't really care for the Uchiha clan. This did _not _mean however, that he wanted to them all to get wiped out just because of Sasuke's father's deluded ambition!

Naruto did not want anyone to suffer, regardless of who it was, just because of one man's ideals.

Naruto glanced over at Sasuke, who was anxiously peering out the window every now and then, as if he expected the coup to start prematurely.

Naruto frowned as he watched his friend's eyes dart about, nervously watching the clock on the far wall of the classroom, then fixing on Iruka who was lecturing, and then back out the window again. Naruto just couldn't put himself in Sasuke's position no matter how hard he tried to. He didn't have a family or a clan for that matter. He didn't have to live with the pressure of living with a father who expected him to be better than his prodigy-of-an-older-brother. He also didn't have a caring mother who watched out for him, and only wished for his happiness.

Naruto felt a strange stirring in his stomach and was surprised to recognize the feeling as bitterness. It had been so long since he had felt truly bitter about his life: he now had friends, a sensei who cared about him (most of the time) and a goal to focus on: becoming a full-fledged shinobi. In all of the fervor, he hadn't truly had time to sit and sulk about how crappy his life was sometimes. Perhaps the feeling came from the overall scope of what he and Sasuke were trying to prevent: the meaningless slaughter of _his _family. Not Naruto's, but Sasuke's.

He shook his head furiously and tried to banish the jealousy that attempted to bubble up to the surface. It wouldn't do him any good to resent his friend for something he would never have.

Naruto was shaken from his thoughts when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder softly, and turned only to find Sasame fixing him with a concerned gaze.

"Naruto-san, are you alright?" Sasame said carefully.

Naruto chuckled softly, careful not to alert Iruka that he wasn't paying attention to his boring lecture.

"Yeah! I'm fine, Sasame-chan! Why do you ask?"

Sasame's gaze softened and she pointed to his face.

"You've got tears running down your cheeks." She replied simply.

Naruto blinked and reached up a hand to touch his cheek, and sure enough he felt tears running down them. He quickly brushed them away, bewildered at the fact that he didn't notice them.

Sasame's gaze hardened somewhat.

"Tell me what's wrong." She demanded.

Naruto shook his head.

"Seriously, Sasame-chan," he replied softly. "I-I'm okay, alright? Don't you worry about me!"

Naruto quickly tore his gaze from the girl, eager to get the point across that he didn't want to talk about it. He felt Sasame's gaze on him for a few moments afterwards, until he saw her turn back to watch Iruka out of the corner of his eye.

'_Seriously,' _Naruto thought dejectedly as he placed his head down on the table. '_What's wrong with me today?'_

Inside our hero's mindscape, Kurama shook his head morosely as he heard Naruto's most recent thought.

"**You spend so much time worrying about others brat," **the fox huffed with a hint of remorse in his tone. "**That you forget to worry about what **_**you**_** really want..."**

* * *

><p>Sai was completely mystified.<p>

He had only made it about two blocks via rooftop before he found his target. He watched in a state of bewilderment as Naruto and the Uchiha boy made a frenzied dash down the street in the opposite direction he was traveling towards the Academy. Sai stopped and blinked.

'_What's going on here?' _He thought in confusion.

He quickly spun around and darted after Naruto wondering what had the boy in such a panic, not even noticing that he was being watched as he fled after them.

* * *

><p>Anko crouched behind a water tower on a building opposite of where she saw the pale-skinned boy carefully observing and then following after her student.<p>

"I wonder," Anko whispered darkly. "What is a Root brat doing following Naruto around?"

Anko had planned to watch Naruto and Sasuke to make sure they didn't take a detour on their way back to the Academy, but now found that she now had a more important objective to accomplish; besides making sure her student didn't skip out on class.

She needed to figure out what that old mummy Danzo was up to behind the Hokage's back.

* * *

><p>Itachi had a grave expression on his face as he began to change into his ANBU-style combat gear. He glanced over at his bed, where a large storage scroll was sitting. He inhaled a deep breath and slowly blew it out as he fastened the last strap of his armor, glancing at his reflection in the mirror.<p>

His eyes showed obvious signs of lack of sleep and his usually rigid posture looked even more pronounced than usual. He clenched his fists and released them slowly, preparing himself for the ordeal that was to come.

He was going to save his clan: or he was going to die trying.

His morbid thoughts were interrupted when he heard and urgent sounding series of knocks on his door.

Sighing once again, Itachi called out:

"Come in!"

His bedroom door slowly slid open to reveal his mother: Mikoto, who stepped into the room with a determined look etched upon her beautiful face. She glanced over at the large scroll that was placed on Itachi's bed and then fixed her gaze on her eldest son, smiling as she did so.

"Are you ready to reveal our plan, son?" Mikoto asked gently.

Itachi nodded and walked to his bed, picking up the large scroll. He glanced down at it for a few long moments and then began to strap it to his back for travel. Mikoto watched him silently until he had finished tying the last knot to hold the scroll in place.

"We only have _one _chance to get this right," she said solemnly. "Or else-"

"I know." Itachi interrupted abruptly, looking down at the ground as he did so. He lifted his head and fixed his gaze on his mother, his fully mature sharingan spinning rapidly.

"We're going to save the Uchiha, mother." Itachi whispered. "I swear it."

* * *

><p>Nightfall spread quickly over the great shinobi village of Konohagakure, it's many denizens completely oblivious to the coming storm that lingered right over their heads. Nor were they aware that the choices and actions of a select few would determine the fate of many:<p>

The fate of an entire clan was at stake tonight.

* * *

><p>Naruto met Sasuke on the darkened lawn of the Academy. Neither boy said a word as they quickly made their way towards the Uchiha District, careful not to be seen.<p>

It was quiet in the village, eerily quiet. Naruto scowled as he thought about his observation. Ninja, villagers, families, and individuals had _no _idea that if the coup went in the Uchiha's favor they would soon be tossed into utter chaos. He resisted the urge to shout in frustration.

The two boys continued on in silence until they reached the closed gates of the Uchiha district.

Sasuke shot Naruto an alarmed look as they observed the large wooden doors.

"That's strange," Sasuke whispered nervously. "The gates were definitely open before I left: has the coup already started?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes at him.

"I don't know, Sasuke," he spat sarcastically. "Do you see katon jutsu and complete bedlam occurring around the village?"

Sasuke glared at Naruto dangerously, and Naruto held up his hands in a placating gesture.

"Sorry!" Naruto apologized quickly. "Just trying to lighten the mood! Do you think we can go over the wall without anyone noticing?"

Sasuke scowled as he attempted to peer around in the murky darkness.

"It's impossible to know if there's any sentries stationed around the district in this darkness," he whispered in frustration. "That won't be a problem for my clan: they can see chakra signatures just fine in the dark with their sharingan: we need a distraction..."

Naruto grinned ferally in the dim light, making Sasuke involuntarily shudder.

"Distraction's my thing!" Naruto cheered quietly, pumping a fist. "Leave it to me!"

Sasuke sighed and shook his head. Something told him that he'd rather try his luck simply sneaking back in.

* * *

><p>Turned out Sasuke's earlier thought was right: the two of them would've been better off sneaking into the compound.<p>

Naruto's 'distraction' was completely asinine. It consisted of Naruto walking up the wall of the compound using chakra, and simply yelling out to no one in particular, hoping to gleam the location of any nearby sentries.

Sasuke slapped his forehead in exasperation. Naruto may have a whole year's worth of ninja training under his belt, but he was still as headstrong and stupid as he was the day Sasuke had met him. Sasuke found it ironic that Naruto missed Iruka's lecture on the third shinobi rule of conduct: 'a ninja's best approach is silence' because he decided to engage Sasame in conversation!

"Are you an _idiot_!?" Sasuke hissed venomously at Naruto, who turned from his perch on the top of the wall to scowl at him.

"Hey!" Naruto quipped indignantly. "You said we needed a _distraction! _I just made one!"

Sasuke was about to inform Naruto that by yelling he would simply gather _all _of the guards to their immediate position, but he didn't have to. The guards suddenly appeared, surrounding the whiskered blonde boy, sharingan blazing.

"Well, look what we have hear boys," said an Uchiha guard with unruly hair. "The demon of Konoha has come to grace us with a visit on our special night!"

There was an uproar of laughter from the rest of the guards as they closed in on Naruto, who took a defensive stance, kunai in hand.

"I wouldn't even try it _demon._" Another guard sneered as he gripped Naruto's wrist tightly, inciting a cry of pain from the boy as he dropped the weapon. It felt with a soft clang on the other side of the wall.

Sasuke held his breath as he watched on in horror. These were his clansmen: his _family_! Why were they treating Naruto like he was trash? And they kept calling him 'demon'. What was that all about.

Sasuke snapped back to reality as he realized that he needed to help his friend.

"Hey, stop!" Sasuke cried, causing all of the guards to turn in his direction.

The guard that was holding Naruto's wrist smiled warmly.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun!" he greeted amicably. "What are you doing? All children and non-combatants are supposed to be in the designated shelters! Why are you out here?"

The other guards looked at Sasuke expectantly, and the boy knew that he had to think fast to salvage what he could from the situation.

'_Naruto, please forgive me after this is all said and done.' _Sasuke pleaded mentally as he took a deep breath and sighed.

"I was heading to the shelter when I heard this guy." Sasuke began, pointing at Naruto, who narrowed his eyes in confusion, but thankfully: kept silent. "I came to check it out, and was going to try and detain him. He goes to the Academy with me: I saw no reason for him to get involved with the plan."

The lead Uchiha guard's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Why do _you_ know about the plan? You're a non-combatant: you shouldn't have been told anything except where the shelters were..."

Sasuke felt a trickle of sweat run down the back of his neck. How could he have been so careless? Of course, they would be suspicious of him now!

"I-I overheard my brother talking to my father about it a few nights ago," Sasuke fumbled, quickly making things up on the go. He had to hand it to Naruto: improvising was not as easy as it looked! "I was on my way to the bathroom, and I couldn't help but listen in!"

The guards said nothing for several seconds as they thought about what they were just told, but then one guard: a woman Sasuke recognized as an Uchiha he had seen a few times around the district spoke up:

"That make sense, Sasuke-san could have easily overheard Fugaku-sama and Itachi-san talking, Junichi..." she reasoned, looking at the leader of the group. Slowly the other Uchiha guards relaxed. "But we need to get you to the shelters Sasuke-san-"

"I want to wish my father luck before I go," Sasuke interjected quickly. "If that's alright with you..."

The lead guard, now identified as Junichi, seemed to mull the idea over for a moment before he slowly nodded. He glanced at two of his fellows and inclined his head at Naruto.

"I'll let Sasuke-kun through the gate," he informed them. "You two, drag the _demon _to Fugaku-sama. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see him."

The guards chuckled darkly, sending a shiver down Sasuke's spine.

"Wait!" Sasuke called, making Junichi look at him in confusion. "What are you going to do with him?"

Sasuke glanced at Naruto quickly trying to convey how sorry he was about the situation, only to be met with a pair of alarmed cerulean eyes.

Junichi grinned sinisterly, along with the other guards as they began to tie Naruto up with a spool of ninja wire.

"We're going to make an example of him, obviously!"

Sasuke paled, and was thankful the darkness concealed his reaction to Junichi's statement. Sasuke walked through the gate as it was opened for him and followed the congregation of guards as they dragged his best friend behind them, like he was some kind of wild beast they had captured. He scowled in disgust.

'_If this is what my clan has always been like,' _thought Sasuke bitterly. _'Is risking our necks to save them even worth it?'_

* * *

><p>Fugaku Uchiha snarled indignantly at his son, Itachi as he realized who the boy had summoned from the scroll.<p>

"ITACHI!" Fugaku roared in outrage. "YOU WOULD DARE-!?"

Itachi smiled at his father. A full on grin of satisfaction.

"Oh yes, father." Itachi said casually. "I would."

Standing before the gathered crowd of Uchiha, clutching a smaller scroll tightly in his hand, was none other than the Third Hokage of Konohagakure: Hiruzen Sarutobi, decked out in full battle-armor.

Sarutobi narrowed his eyes at Fugaku, unleashing a wave of killer intent, that the man staggered back from. The head of the Uchiha clan quickly regained his composure and dropped into a battle stance, activating his fully matured sharingan.

The other Uchiha began to slowly close ranks on the Hokage, various weapons drawn and sharingan activated, only to be met with a large group of ANBU, that blocked there path.

Fugaku sneered as he regarded Sarutobi with loathing.

"Figures," he spat venomously. "When it actually comes down to fighting, you hide behind your ANBU!"

Sarutobi said nothing as he continued to stare down Fugaku. He then turned to look at Mikoto and Itachi, who were watching the proceedings solemnly, and then faced Fugaku once more.

"Contrary to what you believe Fugaku," Sarutobi began authoritatively. "My ANBU and I are merely hear to act as witnesses and to keep the rest of your clan under control. I will not be the one to face you in combat."

There was a cacophony of confused murmurings from the crowd after Sarutobi's proclamation. Fugaku narrowed his eyes at Sarutobi.

"Oh?" Fugaku sneered. "If not you, then who?"

"Me." Came the voice of Itachi, who stepped up to face his father, his own sharingan spinning as they locked gazes.

Fugaku was silent for a moment before he began to laugh.

"You, Itachi?! Don't be foolish!"

Itachi ignored his father's denouncement and turned to face Sarutobi, who handed Itachi the small scroll he had appeared holding. Itachi unfurled the scroll and lifted it so his father could see the contents it held.

"I wasn't sure how to stop your madness, father," Itachi began. "But thankfully, mother reminded me about an age old tradition that dates back to the founding of our clan ages ago..."

Fugaku turned to glare at his wife, who shot him a look of utter defiance in return. He whipped his head back to Itachi and hissed:

"Surely, you can't mean _that_!"

"This age old tradition," Itachi continued, ignoring his father's question. "States that in times of inter-clan instability, the current head of the clan can be challenged by anyone who has rightful claim to the position. Seeing that I am your first-born son, I hold that privilege..."

Fugaku's eyes narrowed until they were practically slits.

"ITACHI." Fugaku began in a dangerous tone. "DON'T YOU DARE-!"

"I, Itachi Uchiha, heir of the Uchiha Clan of Konohagakure challenge you father, for the right to become head of the clan!"

* * *

><p>Naruto hated his life. Here he was, trying to save the very people who were now dragging him down the darkened streets of the Uchiha district.<p>

'_This is not good,' _Naruto panicked. _'Hopefully Sasuke thinks of a clever way to get us out of this mess!' _

Naruto craned his head as much as he was able to, hoping to get a glimpse of his best friend. He found him, following up the group of Uchiha guards. The boy had an anxious look etched upon his face.

Naruto sighed.

'_Okay,' _he thought in annoyance. _'Sasuke's got nothing. What to do, what to do?'_

Naruto couldn't come up with an answer either. Then again, it was rather hard to think up clever strategy when you were almost completely bound in ninja wire, and being dragged unceremoniously through the dirt.

The lead Uchiha guard, Junichi sneered down at Naruto as they continued to walk.

"Alright down there, demon boy?" He taunted, inciting a round of laughter from his fellows.

Naruto ignored him in favor of trying to think of a way out of his current situation. He was struck with a sudden thought: he had someone else he could talk to who might have some advice!

'_Hey, Kurama!' _Naruto thought. '_A little help, here?'_

_**"**_**I got nothing brat," **Kurama growled in response. **"I'd try and lend you a little of my chakra, but at this point in time it would probably make your body explode. An entertaining prospect, but not a good option for either of us..."**

Naruto scowled both at the fox's reply and at the fact that the two guards that were dragging him had just dragged him over a rather sharp stone in the road.

_'What should I do, then?' _Naruto asked.

Kurama was quiet for a few moments before he replied simply:

**"I wouldn't fret brat. Looks like you're going to be just fine..."**

Naruto's brow furrowed even more at Kurama's cryptic statement.

_'What's that supposed to mean, Kurama-!?"_

Naruto was shaken from his conversation with his tenant both figuratively and literally. The two guards that were dragging him suddenly fell to the ground, knocked out cold. Naruto lay on his side watching as the guard named Junichi dropped into a combat stance, along with his fellows, scanning the surrounding area critically.

"We know that you're out there!" Junichi bellowed. "Show yourselves, you cowards!"

There was a rustle of leaves and two figures appeared out of the darkness, and at the sight of them, Naruto's heart leapt with relief.

Anko Mitarashi and Iruka Umino stood before the group of Uchiha scowling deeply.

"So it's the Snake whore and the Academy teacher?" Mocked one of the remaining Uchiha guards dismissively. "Too easy-"

He was abruptly silenced when Anko pointed her arm at him, which elongated into a snake, and coiled around the startled man.

"I suggest you go to sleep now, before I rip your tongue out." Snapped Anko, as she commanded her summon to bite the Uchiha's neck. The snake plunged it's fangs into the man and he abruptly lolled over in it's grasp: completely out cold.

"You'll pay for that!" howled Junichi as he sprang forward at Anko, who swiftly dodged. The two ninja broke into a fast-paced bout of taijutsu. It was clear that Junichi had the advantage in size, but Anko was quick and flexible. She serpentined around the Uchiha's blows and redirected his kicks with fluid motions, throwing him off balance. Junichi attempted to put her down with a powerful axe-kick, but Anko nimbly rolled out of the way.

Meanwhile, Iruka was quickly dealing with the other Uchiha guards, who were trying to overwhelm him with numbers. Iruka displayed amazing feats of cunning, and combat prowess by systematically taking each foe down quickly and with minimal movement. He seemed to simply stand in the same place, guard raised as the Uchiha guards charged. He spun with the movement of the female guards first jab, striking her in the neck as he rotated 180 degrees around her. She fell like a bag of bricks. The other two guards that rushed in to avenge their fallen clansmen were dealt with just as quickly.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Sasuke could only watch in shocked amazement at the skill of their teachers.<p>

Sasuke seemed to snap out of his daze and quickly ran toward Naruto, a kunai in his hand and began to work on cutting through his ninja-wire bonds. After several agonizing moments, Naruto was finally free. He hopped to his feet and gingerly placed a hand on his head where it had gotten bumped during his little journey through the dirt.

He scowled at Sasuke.

"Thanks," he said indignantly. "But next time: remind me not to let you try and talk your way out of a situation. You seriously suck."

Sasuke smirked and shook his head.

"Fine," he replied, and then shot Naruto a pointed glare. "And next time: let me make the distraction: _you _suck at them."

Both boys shared a laugh that was interrupted by the voice of Anko, who flashed over to them, looking completely enraged.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU BRATS THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE!?"

Naruto and Sasuke both shivered in fear and tried to shrink into themselves. Iruka walked over and placed a hand on Anko's shoulder, mollifying somewhat.

"Calm down Anko-san," Iruka said gently. "Sasuke has every right to be here. As for Naruto..."

Naruto scowled at Iruka, daring him to admonish him for being there. Imagine his surprise when Iruka grinned down at him.

"I can only imagine that he'd want to be here for his friend in his time of need..."

Naruto beamed brightly and nodded. Anko, still looking angry, huffed and averted her eyes from the two boys.

Naruto glanced past Iruka to observe that the Uchiha guards were all dealt with.

"They're not...you know; dead. Right, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked, feeling somewhat queasy.

Iruka scowled as he looked over at the guards, who Anko was tying up with her own spool of ninja wire, but shook his head.

"No, they're just knocked out," he answered. "The Hokage ordered us not to use lethal force."

Naruto saw Sasuke give Iruka a grateful smile at his proclamation, which Iruka returned.

Anko walked back over to the group, and crossed her arms.

"Well, what now, Iruka?" She said, eyeing Naruto and Sasuke with disapproval. "Should we take them with us?"

Iruka mulled the question over for a moment before he nodded.

"It would probably be best," he reasoned. "I don't know if our comrades have neutralized all of the sentries, but it's safer for these two to come with us. We don't want a repeat of Naruto getting dragged..."

Naruto huffed indignantly.

"Hey!" he argued. "It wasn't my fault! They ganged up on me!"

Sasuke snorted, crossing his arms.

"Yeah," he rebuked. "After you basically gave away your location by shouting for them!"

Naruto glared at the Uchiha boy, who smirked in reply. Iruka shook his head wearily.

"As punishment for skipping out on class you two," Iruka began in a dark tone, which made both boys flinch. "You'll be reviewing the shinobi codes of conduct, Naruto."

Naruto pouted, but didn't argue. Iruka turned his gaze on Sasuke.

"And you Sasuke," he continued. "Will be doing lines for an hour after class next week."

Sasuke shrugged indifferently. Hey, it could be worse, right?

However, Anko wasn't going to let the two of them off the hook that easily.

"Oh, and as for your punishment from me," Anko began dangerously, which made Naruto pale considerably and Sasuke gulp. "You'll be running 10 laps around the village every afternoon before training Naruto!"

Naruto barely resisted the urge to faint in resignation. Anko then turned to Sasuke, who (much to the shock of both Iruka and Naruto) smirked.

"What?" Sasuke retorted at the woman's angry gaze. "I'm not your student!"

Anko grinned sadistically.

"Oh?" she said in an overly-sweet tone. "Well, I'll be talking to Mikoto-san after this whole rebellion fiasco is over: mark my words, brat!"

Sasuke kept a straight face, but was betrayed by the beads of nervous sweat that ran down his brow.

Iruka cleared his throat, causing everyone to look at him.

"We should get going Anko-san," he said urgently. "Our job isn't finished just yet!"

Anko nodded and gestured for the two boys to follow them.

As they made their way down the street at a brisk run, Naruto scowled as he thought about his punishment from both of his teachers.

'_This is the last time that I'm ever helping someone stop a civil-war!'_

* * *

><p>Fugaku clenched his fists as his anger level nearly peaked. All of his work, all of his preparations: <em>ruined. <em>And as if that wasn't enough, he was being challenged by his own flesh and blood! The nerve!

"Itachi," he growled in a low tone. "Think about what you're doing. You can't possibly match me!"

Itachi said nothing as he waited for his father's answer to his challenge.

Fugaku continued to stare at his son, hoping that he would back down, but realized Itachi had inherited his stubborn attitude from him.

"Fine!" Fugaku barked. "I accept! But I warn you Itachi..."

Itachi narrowed his eyes at his father, whose sharingan began to spin rapidly.

"I WON'T HOLD BACK!"

* * *

><p>Silence was all that was heard several minutes later as the congregation made up of ANBU, rebel-Uchiha, Mikoto, and the Hokage watched father and son face off for the title of clan head.<p>

Neither father nor son said a word. They did not even belie the slightest movement to tip the other off as to what their first move would be. They simply stared at one another. Sharingan to sharingan. Old and new. One who would throw away lives for a chaotic assault of his home, and another who would sacrifice himself to not only save those lives from chaos, but to protect the order that represented his village.

Sarutobi stepped forward and examined both Uchiha, who remained locked in a heated gaze.

"As reigning Hokage," he began. "I will serve as prime witness to this duel. The duel will end when either one of you submits to defeat, or..."

Sarutobi faltered slightly on his words, but everyone who was present knew what the other condition was:

The challenge would only end if the other combatant died.

"Do both of you swear by your clan's honor to abide by these terms?" Sarutobi asked. It was not as if he needed to.

"Yes." Said both father and son.

"Then, let the duel begin!" Sarutobi announced.

The fight for the the most respected clan in Konoha, had begun.

* * *

><p>Itachi stared down his father with no hint of emotion on his face. This was it. The moment he had prepared himself for. There was no turning back, no possible retreat. If he did not take down his father here and now, the Uchiha clan was doomed to annihilation.<p>

How he wished it didn't have to come to this. Couldn't his father see what he was doing? He was throwing the lives of his clansmen away for glory that did not exist!

Fugaku twitched a finger, and Itachi's sharingan easily picked up the subtle movement. He glanced down at his father's finger for only a fraction of a second before fixing his gaze back on the man, only to see him hurtling at him like a speeding kunai.

Fugaku tossed several shuriken at his son in quick succession, only to block a quick jab from Itachi as he easily dodged each one with the grace only a seasoned shinobi was capable of. Punches, kicks, and jabs were all exchanged in dizzying displays of speed and power, only to be redirected and blocked masterfully.

The two combatants broke apart, both skidding a few feet in either direction, kicking up a small cloud of dust as their sandled feet met the loose dirt of the ground.

Suddenly Itachi watched as his surrounding faded into a strange distortion of colors and silhouetted shapes, that confluenced upon him all at once. '_Genjutsu' _Itachi thought quickly, using his eyes to break the illusion's hold as if it were as simple as shaking off a flea. He quickly ducked as his father's right arm sailed over his head, kunai in hand, only to crouch and kick off the ground, flipping to put distance between them once again.

Running through handsigns at a blinding speed, the young Uchiha prodigy inhaled deeply and spat out a torrent of flames that quickly lit up the darkened area, scorching the ground at the same time. Fugaku easily dodged the massive deluge of flames, only to be greeted by a hail of fast-moving shuriken, their metal super-heated by the flames. He casually deflected the ones that were the most threatening with his kunai and dodged the rest, quickly throwing up an arm to block a high-kick aimed at his head.

Using chakra to enhance his already impressive strength, Fugaku repelled his son's strike, sending the boy in the opposite direction, watching critically as Itachi did a series of mid-air acrobatics to right himself.

Not one to miss an opportunity, Fugaku quickly went through his own series of hand-signs and blew out a colossal amount of flame that quickly took the form of a dragon that rushed at Itachi.

Itachi ran through another string of handsigns in response and hollered:

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu! (Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique)"

Inhaling deeply, Itachi opened his moth and blew out a quickly coalescing wall of water that soundly intercepted the fire dragon with a resounding hiss, as fire met water; releasing a large blanket of steam.

Itachi withdrew a kunai and held his ground, knowing that with the sharingan his father would have no problems tracking him down in the cloud.

As he suspected, Itachi quickly rolled to the side as Fugaku came hurtling down at him from above in an axe-kick that created a small crater upon impact.

Rushing towards the man while as he pulled his foot free, the two engaged in another furious bout of taijutsu. After several attacks and parries, they broke apart.

Itachi reached a hand up to his lip and withdrew it, finding blood on the back of his hand. He glanced at his father to find the man strongly favoring his left leg. Itachi smirked. His blow did slightly more damage.

"Don't get cocky, boy!" spat Fugaku as he steadily tested putting weight onto his right leg again. "You haven't won."

Itachi chuckled and shook his head slightly.

"I never said I did," he replied simply. "I'd watch out if I were you, father."

Fugaku wheeled around to come face to face with a shadow clone of Itachi that smiled widely before uttering:

"Boom."

There was a massive explosion as the clone detonated, sending debris and dust everywhere.

Itachi smirked again. The Kage-Bunshin no Daibakuha: or Exploding Shadow-Clone was one of his personal favorites. It was best used at close range for maximum effect, and if the user had high enough chakra control could be a charged to explode in various sizes. Not wanting to kill his father, Itachi had made sure to put just enough chakra to seriously hinder him.

But, Itachi wasn't an ANBU Captain for nothing. He knew that his father wouldn't be taken out by such a simple tactic. Low and behold, when the dust cleared, Itachi wasn't at all surprised to see his father crumple into dirt. '_An Earth Clone, and a substitution' _ he thought, somewhat impressed at the speed his father executed the change. Itachi swiftly sprung off the ground into the air a moment later, as Fugaku exploded from the earth below his feet, kunai poised to strike. Itachi's eyes widened as he watched his father toss the kunai after him, knowing that he would be hard pressed to dodge while in mid-air. Quickly summoning a shadow clone, Itachi had the clone grab him and move him out of harm's way, while the clone intercepted the kunai, shortly popping away in a cloud of smoke afterwards.

Itachi landed on the ground and panted hard. He might be a prodigy in the eyes of the village, but he was still only a thirteen-year-old. Using three chakra-heavy techniques was beginning to take a toll on him. He watched carefully as his father rose to his feet after breaking free of his Earth Release: Head-hunter Technique and dropped into a ready stance.

"What's wrong son?" Fugaku taunted. "Feeling a little drained?"

Itachi didn't take the bait. Instead, he reached into his supply pouch and withdrew a food pill, quickly popping it into his mouth. The combination of the blood from his busted lip and the bitter taste of the pill almost made him gag, but he swallowed the pill down. He felt his chakra stores slowly begin to replenish.

The fight was far from over.

* * *

><p>Sasuke watched in awe as he watched his brother and father fight. His group, consisting of Naruto, Anko, Iruka, and himself had finally arrived at the the scene of the action only moments ago.<p>

He was so engrossed in the battle he didn't even bothered to ask what the Hokage and ANBU were doing there. He completely ignored Naruto's loud shouts of excitement and wonder, simply choosing to watch as his two role models fought.

Sasuke was shocked out of his awe-induced stupor when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him in a tight embrace. He glanced down to see his mother, Mikoto hugging him, like her life depended on it.

"Thank Kami you're safe!" she sobbed, squeezing him tighter. Sasuke awkwardly patted his mother on the back.

"Yeah, I'm fine, mother." He said breathlessly. He was finding it hard to decide which he'd rather focus on: the fact that his mother was unharmed or the fact that his brother and father were engaged in mortal combat.

"Mikoto-oba!" Greeted Naruto from nearby, running over to see her. "I'm glad nothing happened to you!"

Mikoto momentarily blinked at Naruto in confusion.

"Naruto-kun," she gasped. "What are you doing here?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"I promised Sasuke that I would help him prevent the coup anyway I could...But, we kind of got held up!"

Mikoto blinked at him again and released Sasuke, who was happy to finally be able to breathe freely. She quickly embraced Naruto, who froze before returning her hug somewhat awkwardly.

"I'm glad you're safe as well!" She said.

Naruto blushed and laughed nervously.

Anko and Iruka made their way towards the two Uchiha and Naruto, both gazing at the incredible fight happening right before their eyes.

"Holy Kami," said Anko breathlessly. "I had no idea Itachi was so good!"

Iruka was so astonished by the combat and tactics involved, he could barely manage a strange, gurgled response of agreement.

Mikoto quickly released Naruto, who seemed sad to lose the comfort of her embrace, and made her way over to the two of them.

"Thank you so much for helping the two of them," Mikoto said gratefully. "I was worried that they'd hurt Sasuke for not being in the shelters, and Naruto-kun..."

Mikoto's face darkened considerably as she finished her sentence, gazing sadly at Naruto who was once again watching Itachi and Fugaku's fight with ill-disguised excitement.

Anko's face mirrored that of Mikoto's.

"Yeah," she replied quietly. "But don't worry: the two of them ran into some trouble with the sentries your husband stationed around the gates, but luckily Iruka and I got there in time to bail them out..."

Mikoto bowed low to both Anko and Iruka.

"You have my deepest thanks," she replied. "If you ever need anything, just ask!"

Anko smirked.

"Remind me to cash in on that after we settle this coup, Mikoto-san," Anko stated, glancing at Sasuke. "I can think of something you might be able to help me with!"

Mikoto looked at Iruka imploringly, but the scarred chuunin simply shrugged.

"It seems like things are coming to a close in the fight," Anko said, looking at the fight again. "They both look like their running out of stamina..."

Mikoto turned to look at her husband and son, her pretty face marred by an anxious and heart-broken expression.

'_Please Kami,' _she prayed silently. _'Please let everything end alright!'_

* * *

><p>Itachi gasped as he faced down his father, who was also breathing heavily. The fight was just as difficult as he thought it would be. His father was relentless: using every opportunity that Itachi gave him to attack mercilessly. He exploited every opening, every flaw. Just as a true shinobi should.<p>

Fugaku was having similar thoughts about his eldest son. Betrayed as he was, he had grudgingly give the boy his respect. Itachi was ten times the shinobi he was at his age. He was cunning, calculating and incredibly perceptive. He used masterful diversionary tactics to their utmost, constantly luring him into traps and snares that he could barely manage to avoid. But it was time to end it. They were both on their last legs.

Both Uchiha were bruised, battered and exhausted: but neither one would give up. The other Uchiha watched in a kind of transfixed awe as they watched their best and brightest duke it out. The question on the mind's of every Uchiha present however was:

Who would lead the clan? The one who restore them to their rightful place as Konoha's elite? Or the son who would have them abstain from taking what was theirs?

"Itachi!" Fugaku hollered. "This is it my son. I can see that you're almost out of chakra, as these blessed eyes of our clan do not lie!"

Itachi huffed in exhaustion, but managed a wry smirk.

"Big talk father," he replied. "I too have sharingan, and can see that you're no better off than I am!"

Fugaku glared at Itachi who glared right back.

"I can't let you stop the Uchiha from claiming what is rightfully ours!" Fugaku declared. "The Uchiha _deserve _to rule Konoha!"

Itachi glanced at Sarutobi, who watched both Uchiha with a solemn expression, belying no semblance of emotion whatsoever.

"You're wrong, father!" Itachi argued. "Don't you see!? It's not about the Uchiha or who deserves to rule! We are shinobi of Konohagakure! We serve the village because it is our _home_! It's where we live: where our family is! It's not about ruling over anyone! It should be about _protecting _what's precious to us! It begs the question: WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU!?"

Little did Itachi know at the time what effect his words would have over the two seven-year old boys who were watching this all unfold.

Fugaku said nothing as he continued to watch his son. His face showed regret, and a hint of uncertainty. The latter was quickly wiped from his face as his resolve hardened.

"Then we stand on different sides of the spectrum of what _truly _matters in this world." Fugaku replied.

"You're such a hypocrite!" Screamed Itachi, momentarily giving into his frustration. "Do you remember what you said to me when I finally became a genin!? Do you!?"

Fugaku lowered his head, hiding his expression.

The fact of the matter was: he _did _remember.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback: Six Years Ago<strong>

Itachi sat on a dock overlooking a lake in the Uchiha district. He let his legs dangle over the edge, allowing his bare feet to gently skim the surface of the crisp, cool water below. On his forehead was a gleaming, unmarred Konoha hitai-ate, signifying his status as an official shinobi of Konoha. Itachi had done what many considered an impossible feat: he had graduated at the top of his class, becoming Rookie of the Year, at only seven-years-old. He received praise and admiration from many, but deep down he was disappointed.

At his graduation ceremony, he had looked into the audience searching for his parents, only to find his mother, who would be due to give birth any day now, there in support of him. After the ceremony ended, he had asked her where his father was. His mother had given him a sad look and informed him that his father had to leave Konoha for the day on official clan business. Itachi was crushed, although he would never make his mother worry by stating that fact. He had wanted his father to see him receive his honors as Rookie of the Year, but most of all, he wanted his approval. All of the training, blood, sweat and tears he poured into becoming the best he could be was all to show his father he was worthy of being a ninja. Not to show that he was the best Uchiha, but the best ninja his father could possibly ask to have as a son.

So here he sat, looking wistfully at the trees on the other side of the lake as they blew gently in the soft summer breeze. He sighed and pulled his feet from the cold water of the lake and tucked his knees up to his chest.

"Why so blue, son?" Said a deep voice from behind him.

Itachi wheeled around to come face to face with his father, who was staring at him impassively. Itachi noticed his father's gaze fall on his hitai-ate momentarily, and thought he recognized a flash of _something _in his father's stern gaze. Was it approval? Satisfaction? He couldn't be sure.

He turned around, facing the lake again and sighed.

"I don't know, father." Itachi replied somberly. "I-"

"You're upset that I couldn't make your graduation, I assume?" Fugaku reasoned, as he took a seat next to his son on the dock.

Itachi flinched, embarrassed at being read so thoroughly.

Fugaku said nothing as he waited to hear Itachi's reply.

"Yeah." Itachi whispered, looking down at his reflection in the water.

Fugaku sighed and crossed his arms.

"I wish I could've seen you graduate son," Fugaku began solemnly. "You're a perfect example of what an Uchiha should strive to be! But you will see someday, when you become head of the clan after me, that sometimes you have to sacrifice things for the best interests of the clan."

Fugaku sighed again and looked at Itachi, who refused to meet his gaze.

"For me, that meant that I couldn't come to your graduation."

Itachi nodded in understanding, continuing to watch as his reflection seemed to sway with the movement of the water.

The two sat in silence for a while before Itachi suddenly asked:

"Father. Now that I'm a shinobi of the Leaf, I want to ask you a question."

Fugaku nodded, encouraging his son to continue.

"In your opinion," Itachi went on. "What do you think is more important for a shinobi to protect? His clan? Or his village?"

Fugaku was slightly taken aback by the depth of his son's question. He sat quietly for several moments, contemplating his answer.

"I believe that the clan should come first son. The village is simply an organization that employs various clans to carry out its business-"

"I think that's wrong." Itachi interjected, causing Fugaku to raise an eyebrow.

"How so?" He replied.

Itachi continued to stare at the water for a few moments before answering:

"If what you say is true: why do we, the Uchiha even live in Konoha? Why do we protect it? Wouldn't we be better served living on our own; not bound by loyalty to the village?"

Fugaku said nothing as he continued to listen to his son.

"But we _don't_ live separately from the village," Itachi continued. "So what makes Konoha worth protecting? Why would all of the various people, clans, and shinobi all live in one place, die for it, and fight for it, if it's simply an organization that's simply a means to an end? "

Fugaku sat quietly for a long time thinking about his son's question.

Itachi was torn. The Hokage had given a speech at his graduation ceremony that really moved him. He had spoken of a power that holds all ninja and villagers together: he had called it 'The Will of Fire'. He had also said that it burns in all of us, because we love the village with all of our hearts and want to protect and cherish it. Itachi had never heard such a thing. He was torn because of his own upbringing. He was taught to love his clan above all else, even the village. But for some reason, the idea that the Uchiha were more important than Konoha itself never sat well with him. It seemed flawed. Itachi had posed the question to his father to do two things: the first was to finally come to a decision about which philosophy made more sense to follow as a ninja. The second, and more important point, was to find out what his father _truly _thought about the clan and village; without his answers being marred by clan pride or politics.

Itachi was somewhat surprised when he felt his father's hand pat him on the head warmly. He glanced up at his father's face to see a gentle smile on his face.

"Do you want to know my _real _opinion on the matter, Itachi?" Fugaku asked.

Itachi nodded slowly and watched his father expectantly.

Fugaku stood up and looked out over the lake and stretched.

"I think we protect the village," he began. "For one simple reason."

Itachi blinked and looked at his father.

"And why is that?" He asked.

Fugaku smiled down at him.

"We protect the village: because it is our home."

**End Flashback:**

* * *

><p>Fugaku said nothing as he continued to stare at his son, impassively.<p>

"Enough talk!" Fugaku bellowed. "This is a contest of skills: not words! This will be the final showdown! See if you are able to best me!"

Itachi clenched his eyes shut miserably. He had hoped to reach his father, but it was all for naught. Setting his expression in an emotionless mask as he was taught in the ANBU, Itachi fixed his gaze on his father as he began to gather his chakra for one, final jutsu.

Both Uchiha flew through a set of handsigns and declared at the same time:

**"Katon: Dairyuuka no Jutsu! (Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique)"**

* * *

><p>The spectators of the match watched on in awe as the flames and illumination from the combined might of the two jutsu briefly lit up the night sky, almost giving off the illusion that it was daytime. The two deluges of flame flew at each other smashing with a colossal blast when they finally made contact with each other. Both combatants poured all of their remaining chakra into their jutsu, turning the contest into a battle of attrition.<p>

* * *

><p>Fugaku's mind was spinning as he felt the last of his chakra being forced into his jutsu, giving way to complete exhaustion. As he continued to watch as his flames battled for supremacy over his son he began to think about what Itachi had screamed at him only minutes ago.<p>

What would he have fought for once the Uchiha reigned supreme over Konoha? His clan, was the answer that readily popped into his mind. But the quickly summoned answer soon gave way to yet another question: why did he fight for his clan, then?

As he continued to pour his remaining power into his jutsu, Fugaku could have sworn that in the flames he saw an image of Itachi, seven-years-old again, waiting expectantly for an an honest answer to his question all those years ago. Fugaku had thought that he had told his son the truth when he gave his answer on the dock back then: but now that he faced this 'vision' of his young son, he realized that wasn't quite true.

He had told Itachi an answer that was built on a half-truth. While it was a fact that the ninja fought for their village to protect their home, it was also true that the village _was _a business. Shinobi villages were able to support themselves because of the various tasks they performed for those that did not have the capabilities to do so for themselves. But it raised a very poignant question: at the end of the day, what did Fugaku _truly _believe was the most important thing to fight for? To suffer for? To live for?

He realized his answer as the last of his chakra left his body, and his jutsu began to fail.

He smirked wearily as he watched his eldest son's flames begin to close in on him.

How could he have been so foolish?

It wasn't about the Uchiha getting what was rightfully theirs, nor was it about simply protecting one's village because it was their home.

At least, for Fugaku Uchiha, this wasn't the case.

As Itachi's jutsu finally reached him, he watched as the vision of his son transformed from a seven-year-old genin into a battle weary and exhausted boy of thirteen who simply wanted to know why his father fought so ferociously for his cause.

And he at last had an answer for him.

He fought to put his clan at the top, because he wanted to protect the most precious thing to him:

_His sons._

* * *

><p>There was paramount silence as the flames began to die down, leaving a smoldering clearing and smoke rising into the night sky.<p>

The verdict was clear. The battle was over at last.

**AN:**** And, there you have it folks! The conclusion, (of the fight at least). Next chapter will be the aftermath of the battle and conflict, followed by one more chapter before we get to: *drumroll* A TIMESKIP! Hooray! I'm going to give a shoutout to: loganhunter2 for consistently entertaining me with his reviews as I typed this chapter! Serious dude, you had me cracking up. Cheers! Afroman007 signing out!**


	29. Chapter 29

**AN:**** What's going on everybody!? Afroman007 back again with Chapter 29 of the Fox's Shadow! This chapter is predominantly from Itachi's POV, so I hope you enjoy it! As always, leave me a review if you're feeling up to it! Love hearing from you guys!**

**Chapter 29:**

Itachi fell to one knee as he felt the last of his chakra flow from his coils and into the inferno he had conjured. With a shaky rasp of a breath, he strained his eyes, sharingan now deactivated, to see through the smoke and debris his father and his own jutsu had created. He was positive that a shinobi as seasoned as his father wasn't going to be put down just yet, although he couldn't shake a thought that was slowly, but surely making it's way to the forefront of his weary, exhausted mind.

Itachi could've sworn that he felt his father's chakra begin to wane as their jutsu battled for dominance. He couldn't be sure though. By the time he had begun to notice a significant change in his father's chakra reserves, he had to deactivate his sharingan in order to sustain the flow of chakra to his jutsu.

He staggered to his feet and squinted around himself warily, ready to defend himself if his father was simply using the silence and overall destruction as a cover to attack; but after at least two minutes of waiting, he realized that his father wasn't attacking for some reason...

Suddenly, he hard a startled gasp from somewhere nearby and spun to see his mother standing off to the side of the battlefield with her hands covering her mouth in shock. He made to walk towards her in concern when what she cried made his blood run cold.

"OH MY KAMI!" She screamed. "FUGAKU, NO!"

It was as if all of Itachi's senses suddenly went into overdrive. He was suddenly bombarded on all sides as his sense of hearing, touch, smell, and taste all snapped back into full focus. He could hear the rest of his clansmen also crying out in a profuse mixture of alarm and outrage after his mother's initial cry. He felt every inch of his body begin to howl in agony, as the adrenaline that was maintaining his resistance to his own pains faded away. His sense of smell was overloaded by the acrid smell of smoke from the remnants of the fire, and another, more repugnant smell, while he could taste a mixture of blood and ash on his tongue.

The one sense that had not left him however: was his sense of sight. And he widened his eyes in horror as he wheeled around and saw what had rallied the cry of alarm from his mother and fellow Uchiha clansmen.

"No..." Itachi stammered, running forward as best as he could with his exhaustion setting in. "NO!"

* * *

><p>Fugaku lay on the ground with a mixture of agony and satisfaction on his proud features. He coughed, and could feel a large glob of blood splatter his chin and neck as it was forced from his damaged body. His eyesight was shifting between a blur and sharp focus, but he didn't need his eyes to know that he was beyond any kind of help.<p>

His body felt like it had been stabbed with a million blades all over, and for some reason, he couldn't feel his left leg, which should have worried him: but for whatever reason, Fugaku shrugged it off as inconsequential.

The ringing in his ears had subsided somewhat, and he was just able to hear the anguished voice of his wife as she called out his name. He attempted to turn his head in the direction he heard her cry from, only to have a fresh jolt of excruciating pain shoot like lightning through his body. He winced, and would have cried out in pain if it wasn't becoming so hard for him to breathe. The billowing columns of smoke created from Itachi's and his own jutsu weren't making the already arduous task any easier.

He could hear the disbelieving cries of his clansmen that must have been caused when they were finally able to see what remained of their once-proud clan head. Fugaku chuckled; flinching as he did so.

'_How I've failed all of you,' _he thought morosely.

His thoughts were interrupted when he caught the silhouette of a single person out of the periphery of his blurry vision. When his eyesight cleared his already furrowed brow began to deepen in even more of a regretful expression.

'_And I've failed you most of all...Itachi, my son...'_

* * *

><p>Itachi felt a multitude of different emotions running through his mind as he looked at the mangled body of his father on the ground before him. Anger, sadness, disbelief, and bitterness.<p>

He lowered himself so that he hovered just slightly above his father's body and peered at his glazed over eyes, that slowly drifted from their blank, empty stare to fix on his face.

"I-Itachi..." His father croaked weakly.

Itachi felt his chest tighten with sorrow. He had not meant for this to happen! He had thought his father would at _least _get out of the way: not take on the full brunt of his jutsu!

The harsh reality of what had become of the man lay before him in grim finality.

Fugaku's chest was badly burned, and his combat armor underneath his robes was melted completely through, revealing charred and badly burned flesh underneath. His arms lay uselessly at his sides, red with third-degree burns. Worst of all was his lower half of his body. His left leg was completely burned to a blackened hue, while his right leg was relatively intact, but would never be able to be walked on again: thanks to the frayed skin that covered it almost completely. The pain his father must be in!

"F-father," Itachi whispered in a tone of utmost disbelief. "Oh, Kami: I-I thought-!"

He was momentarily shaken when he saw his father's badly burned face twist into a grim smile.

"It's-it's okay, m-my son," Fugaku breathed. "Y-you've won-"

His dialogue was abruptly halted when he began to cough violently, staining his lips with crimson blood.

Itachi felt his heart skip a beat.

"Father, please!" Itachi warned. "Don't speak anymore! I'll get help-!"

"N-no..." Fugaku wheezed feebly. He craned his head slightly to the left, causing Itachi to glance, albeit hesitantly, in that direction as well. His mother, Mikoto was rushing over with his younger brother Sasuke in tow, followed by Naruto, Anko, and Iruka, all of them with a look of shocked incredulity etched upon their faces. Itachi craned his head to the right, where he saw the Hokage and his ANBU, along with the rebellious faction of his clan also closing in ranks around them.

His mother arrived first, flying to her husband's side, tears staining her cheeks.

"Oh, Kami..." she breathed, as she took in Fugaku's mangled body, her eyes widening as she surveyed the severity of the situation. "Oh..Fugaku...!"

He watched in sorrowful anguish as his mother collapsed on her husband, sobbing uncontrollably.

The next voice nearly broke his heart in two.

"F-father!" Came the subdued voice of Sasuke, his tone barely a whisper. He watched as Sasuke fell to his knees next to his father, eyes wide in shock.

Fugaku's eyes roved the faces of the crowd surrounding him, only to eventually meet Itachi's wide eyed gaze again.

"It's t-too late f-for me..." he gasped. Itachi began to tell him to save his strength, but his father's gaze hardened in refusal, effectively cutting off Itachi's reply. "I-I was a f-fool. I'm s-so sorry: for everything..."

Itachi felt his chest tighten even further. He clenched his jaw tightly and tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes.

"Father," Itachi uttered quietly. "I-I didn't mean for it to end this way: I thought you'd get out of the way! I thought-!"

Itachi's explanation was cut off as he watched his father begin to hack up some more blood. His mother had removed herself from Fugaku's chest, and now watched on helplessly as his breathing steadied again, his chest heaving to take in oxygen.

"I-I," Fugaku began in a voice so weak, Itachi had to lean closer to make out the words. "I never answered your question all those years ago...about why we protect the village..."

Itachi's mind was spinning. Of all of the things for his father to bring up, why this? Why now?

"It's fine, father!" Itachi choked. "It doesn't matter to me anymore!"

Fugaku wheezed out a chuckle, ignoring Itachi's reply.

"L-let me tell you my _real _answer..." He whispered.

Itachi continued to gaze into his father's onyx eyes, wondering why his father wanted to speak about this now, of all times!

"I wanted t-to put our clan on top because... I wanted to protect you, your mother and S-Sasuke...M-my family..."

Itachi's eyes began to water as Fugaku continued:

"I went...about it the wrong w-way...I can see t-that now..."

Itachi noticed his mother was now embracing Sasuke tightly, as the boy was beginning to sob uncontrollably. Nearby, most of his clansmen had stoic, unreadable expressions on their faces, while others cried silently. Sarutobi watched on with grim muteness, his ANBU standing idle as they too, watched the scene. Anko and Iruka had linked their hands, and Itachi noticed that Anko was shaking slightly, until the scarred chuunin released his hold on her hand, instead opting to wrap a comforting arm around her shoulders. Last, but not least was Naruto: who watched on with a mixture of sadness and something else that Itachi couldn't comprehend at the moment.

His attention was drawn back to his father's face as he heard his father's voice call to him once more.

"I-Itachi..." Fugaku said softly, a string of tears slowly rolling down his cheeks. Itachi was startled to realize it was the first time in his life that he had seen his father shed tears. "I-I'm so sorry this h-happened. Sasuke..."

Itachi glanced at his brother, who looked up from his mother's chest to look sorrowfully at his father when he heard his name.

"Y-you will grow up to be a splendid ninja like your brother...of this I'm certain...I'm proud of how far you've already come..."

Sasuke's lower lip began to quiver violently, as fresh tears leaked from his eyes. Itachi watched as Mikoto embraced him once more, and Naruto walked over to place a comforting hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"M-Mikoto-hime..." Fugaku said in a soft, loving tone. Mikoto looked tearfully at her husband's face. "I-I'm sorry I won't be here to watch...as our boys grow up...that I'll never get to grow old with you..."

Mikoto lowered her head slowly and placed a tender kiss on Fugaku's forehead, her tears falling lightly on his skin as she did so.

"Make sure...they d-don't become like..me. It's in their genes, though..."

Fugaku smirked slightly, causing Mikoto to give a strangled chuckle in reply as she nodded slowly.

Itachi watched as his father's eyes landed on Naruto and simply watched him for several long moments, before they widened in a realization of sorts. He was surprised when his father began to laugh, even though it had to be excruciating painful.

"We claim," Fugaku said bitterly as he gazed at the whiskered blonde boy. "To have the best eyesight of any clan...but I've been blind this whole time...it seems that idiot refuses to leave me alone...How c-could I have not made the connection...?"

Itachi watched as almost everyone's face, save his mother's and the Hokage's, became etched in confusion at Fugaku's words. He himself had no idea at what his father was talking about now.

Fugaku held Naruto's gaze for several more moments before he smiled and added:

"B-be a good friend t-to my son..."

Naruto nodded grimly with an expression of fierce determination on his face. Seeing the boy's acceptance of his request, Fugaku's gaze rested back on Itachi once again.

"Itachi..." he said quietly. "You will make...a great clan head of the Uchiha...and know this..."

Itachi leaned closer to his father to hear his next words.

"I am so proud of the man you've become...and I love you son."

Itachi felt the internal dam he had erected crumple all at once, as fresh tears of anguish began to roll down his cheeks at an unstoppable pace.

Fugaku breathed deeply as he fixed his gaze on the night sky that was somewhat marred by smoke, then sighed with a cough.

"Tell the clan...that I'm sorry for being so foolish...tell them to bear no grudge against the village because..."

Fugaku began to cough again, fresh blood spilling from his mouth. Mikoto placed a hand on his charred shoulder helplessly watching on as her husband's life began to fade.

"Konoha...is..."

Itachi's eyes were barely able to read the words that came silently out of his father's lips as he parted from this world, but as he did so, he felt his heart begin to break even further.

'_Our family too.'_

And with that, Fugaku Uchiha: the once proud head of the illustrious Uchiha Clan of Konohagakure died, his spirit going into the warm, waiting embrace of Kami herself.

* * *

><p>No one spoke a single word as the dim light in Fugaku's eyes faded. Mikoto, who was closest, silently lifted a hand and gently closed her husband's eyes.<p>

Itachi felt a burning sensation in his own eyes, which he quickly reached up to grasp at, hissing in agitation.

Mikoto quickly rushed to his side, concern spread across her features as she tried to help. She was finally able to pull her eldest son's hands from his face, and gasped when she fixed her gaze on him, tears beginning to stream down her face again.

"Oh, Itachi..." she whispered sorrowfully.

Itachi glanced up at her, tears of his own running down his face.

"What?" He asked concernedly.

"Your eyes..." Mikoto replied quietly. "They've evolved."

Itachi's eyes widened in shock. He had unlocked the Mangekyo Sharingan? However, far from being pleased, he felt a surge of bitterness rise up from the pit of his stomach. He had just lost his father, and fate had rewarded him by allowing him to unlock the next stage of his kekkei genkai? The irony was disgusting. He observed his mother, and was surprised to see that he could see her chakra in much better clarity than he was able to with his normal sharingan activated. Glancing past her, his gaze fell upon his father's body, and a jolt of sorrow rushed through him as his new eyes clearly relayed that his father was truly gone from this world.

"It's not important..." Itachi muttered, as he shakily got to his feet. He noticed that his fellow clansmen where all observing him with a mixture of awe and surprise, which made him feel even worse. He quickly pulled the chakra from his eyes, and felt his vision return to normal. He glanced at Sarutobi, who solemnly made his way out from the crowd and stopped when he reached Itachi.

"You have my deepest condolences," the aged leader said quietly. "I hoped that the end result would not have to result in such a manner, but the fact remains: you have won the contest; therefore, as of now, you are now the head of the clan by right."

Itachi nodded once in understanding, and turned to face his fellow clansmen, who were all watching him expectantly.

"My fellow clansmen!" Itachi began in a rasp. It was all he could do to keep a quaver out of his voice, as he concentrated hard on pushing his feelings of sorrow down for now. "Tonight, we have gone through a very turbulent change of course. My father, Fugaku and all of you were only minutes away from staging a coup against our leader, the Hokage, and the village itself!"

The clan said nothing as they listened on, already aware of their former head's plan and their involvement.

"I would not allow this to happen!" Itachi continued, feeling a surge of confidence as he went on. "The resulting violence that would have followed this asinine action would have resulted in countless Uchiha and Konoha ninja's lives being lost! I challenged my father not only to stop him, but to stop all of you as well!"

The Uchiha all looked at each other in various states of confusion and contemplation at Itachi's most recent proclamation.

"A leader cannot accomplish anything without the support of those who follow him! The blame lies not only with my father's decisions, but _your _decision to follow his example!"

Many of the Uchiha lowered their heads as Itachi's words sunk in, while a few others still stared back at him defiantly.

"We are shinobi and citizens of Konohagakure!" Itachi bellowed. "We serve and protect the village because it is our home and because it is where those precious to us live! To assault the village is to assault your own kin! How could you live with yourselves for attempting such a heinous act!?"

The few Uchiha who still refused to take responsibility for their actions now began to look at one another uncertainly.

"From this day forward, I: Itachi Uchiha, first born son of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha am head of this clan! I will _not _tolerate nor show mercy to any Uchiha who ever attempts anything like what was to occur tonight! Nor will I accept any kind of behavior that shows even the slightest bit of resentment for what we only have ourselves to blame for! _You _attempted to attack the village: not the other way around! This hatred of our position in the village stops tonight!"

Itachi scanned the many faces of his clansmen, looking for any kind of dissent. To his satisfaction, he did not find any. When he spoke again, his tone became softer and more compassionate.

"If you don't like the way the village treats our clan, do something _productive _about it! Don't let your anger guide your actions: let your heart do that! Open your minds to the possibility that perhaps the village simply doesn't understand us as a clan, even as individuals and that leads to fear and mistrust!"

Itachi's gaze landed on Naruto as he said this, and the whiskered boy shot him a grateful smile in return.

"From this day forward," Itachi continued. "We, the Uchiha Clan will strive to make our clan understood! Not by forcing our will upon others; but by striving to bridge the gap of misunderstanding between the village's perception of us, and what we, as a clan know to be true! 'Konoha is not just our _home_: it is also our _family _as well'! Those were the last words my father imparted to me to pass on to all of you!"

Itachi took a breath as he gathered himself to say his next words.

"And as clan head, I will do whatever it takes to defend my family: Uchiha and Konoha citizens alike: for that is what is most precious to me!"

Itachi stood quietly as he finished his speech, and watched on as he observed the awed looks on his audience's faces. Suddenly: he heard the sound of someone clapping, and turned to see Naruto, smiling widely at him. Slowly but surely, more clapping began from his mother and brother, followed by the Hokage, Anko, and Iruka who also wore proud smiles on their faces. Finally, the dam burst wide open and the night air was filled with shouts and cheering from the entirety of the Uchiha clan who enthusiastically accepted the first proclamation of their new clan head with fervor.

Itachi smiled wearily and plopped down on the ground, his body screaming at him to rest. He resisted the temptation to simply lie down on the ground and fall asleep however; for he had work to do.

He smiled as he was embraced by his mother and brother, and then surrounded by the very people he had fought tooth and nail to protect.

Tomorrow would be a bright new day for the Uchiha: and Konoha as well.

* * *

><p>Over the next few days, many changes took place in the village of Konohagakure.<p>

The first of these changes, was the Hokage disclosing the events of the coup to the general populace, a risky move: but a necessary one. The Uchiha clan could not hope to assimilate back into the folds of the village without starting off with a clean slate first. Many of the villagers and shinobi alike were spiteful and horrified at the news, but Itachi expected as much. It would take time to heal the rift that the Uchiha had created with their treasonous intentions.

The second change was the dismantling of the wall that separated the Uchiha district from the rest of the village, done at Itachi's insistence. For too long, he said, the Uchiha had isolated themselves from the very people who they were meant to protect. It was time to _literally_ tear down the walls between Uchiha and Konoha. The Konoha Military Police accepted their first non-Uchiha members, and anyone was allowed to live in the district, if they so wished. Naruto was the first to jump feet first at the opportunity: much to Sasuke, Itachi, and Mikoto's delight. They offered to let the blonde haired boy move in with them, and he readily accepted. The Uchiha family couldn't be happier at the news.

The third change, and a very necessary one was the arrests of all the Uchiha who had planned to participate in the coup. Normally, the sentence for treason was execution; but thankfully, because of Itachi's actions that prevented the coup from ever taking place, the convicted were only sentenced to light punishment.

Yet another thing that was done was Itachi's argument against the village council that insisted that his father, Fugaku was not branded as a traitor of the Leaf. Itachi had argued that since the rebellion never happened, his father was not guilty of anything except premeditation of treason; not to mention Fugaku had atoned, (with his life), for his actions. The council (especially Danzo and the two advisors: Homura and Koharu) were strongly opposed to this change in Fugaku's status, but they were easily overruled by the combined might of Itachi's supporters on the council.

Things were certainly changing for the better, but there were still going to be roadblocks that Itachi would have to brace himself for. However, such was the job of being a clan head: and Itachi vowed that he would rise to the challenge gladly.

* * *

><p>It was a few hours after the funeral of Itachi's father, Fugaku. The service was well attended by family and Konoha denizens alike. Itachi was the one who gave the eulogy, thankful that he was able to get through the whole thing without breaking down. The casket was laid to rest next to the remains of many fallen heroes in Konoha's graveyard.<p>

Currently, Itachi sat on the dock in the former Uchiha district, watching as a small family of civilians, who had recently moved into the district, made their way around the shore. The mother and father of a young girl, probably around five, laughed as their daughter chased after various woodland creatures along the lake path as they walked.

Itachi smiled wistfully at the scene. What he would have given to have walked around the lake as a child with his father, laughing like that. He sighed, pushing the sad thought away. He was glad however, that he finally learned the truth about what his father held most precious to him in his last moments. Fugaku's words had moved Itachi deeply, and as his father lay dying, Itachi was able to easily find it in his heart to forgive the man for everything he had done. He would be missed dearly, but Itachi was happy knowing that in the end his father died redeemed, and not condemned.

Itachi sighed as he gathered up his legs that were dangling off of the edge of the dock, and gathered them to his chest.

"There you are, onii-san." Came the voice of Sasuke, who walked down the dock and plopped down beside Itachi.

Itachi smirked as he ruffled Sasuke's hair, the younger boy pouting somewhat as he did so, but not pushing him away.

"How are you, Sasuke?" Itachi asked kindly.

Sasuke sighed as he too rested his gaze on the small family across the lake.

"I don't know," he replied softly. "It's a lot to take in. Father's death, the coup, just...everything..."

Itachi nodded in understanding. He imagined that Sasuke must be suffering even more than he was. Sasuke had tried so hard to gain their father's favor, only to be constantly overlooked by Fugaku, who favored him instead. To have the figure whose approval you constantly wanted torn away from you before you could prove your worth must be difficult. Thankfully, Sasuke had been told by their father that he was proud of him, and would become a great ninja, just like Itachi.

"Well, what will you do now?" Itachi finally said at last.

Sasuke sighed again as he dangled his legs over the edge of the dock and slowly swung them back and forth.

"I'm going to get stronger," Sasuke said after a moment's pause. "I'm going to get strong enough that I can protect the clan, and the village from anyone who threatens it! Naruto said he's going to do the same thing! We'll do it together!"

Itachi smiled widely at Sasuke's determination. It was a lucky day for Sasuke when he ran into Naruto and two became friends. Perhaps the two boys really could accomplish their goal. Itachi could feel that the two boys shared a bond unlike anything he's ever witnessed: if they had the support of one another, there really wasn't anything in the world the two couldn't do.

"That's a good goal, Sasuke." Itachi complimented, ruffling Sasuke's hair again, although this time; Sasuke _did _wiggle out of his grasp.

"Thanks, onii-san." Replied Sasuke with a small smile, which slowly turned into a frown. "Do you think father would have approved of my goal, too?"

Itachi raised his eyebrows at the question.

"I believe father would approve," Itachi answered. "After all, you're protecting what is most precious to you: just like he did. He loved the both of us and mother with all of his heart."

Sasuke smiled widely at the comparison Itachi had made between his goal and Fugaku's. The sight of his younger brother's happiness warmed Itachi's heart.

"And know this too, Sasuke..." Itachi began, causing Sasuke to look at him curiously.

"No matter what you decide to do, or who you grow up to become..."

There was a slight breeze that ruffled the black hair of the two Uchiha brothers as they sat on the edge of the dock. Itachi placed a hand on the top of his brother's head and smiled warmly at him.

"I will _always _love and be proud you."

Sasuke smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, onii-san."

The two of them sat in companionable silence afterwards, both eager to see what the future would bring for the Uchiha clan, themselves, and entirety of their home: Konoha.

After all: everyone in the village was their family too.

**AN:**** *Sobs* And so ends the Uchiha conflict! I've always hated the fact that Fugaku only got to tell Itachi that he was proud of him in his last moments, and Sasuke never got to know if his father was proud of him or not. I also wanted Fugaku to die redeemed: after all, it was Madara and Obito's machinations that caused the massacre to happen in the first place. Also, Naruto finally gets the home and family that he deserves!**

**For those of you that noticed or didn't (shame on you!): Itachi's words to Sasuke at the end were supposed to be a nod at his final words to his brother in canon. That scene is one of my favorites in the whole series! So, you're probably wondering: where are you going to go from here? Well, you'll just have to keep reading the story to find out, won't you? Thanks for all the support so far! Afroman007, signing out!**


	30. Chapter 30

**AN:**** Hello readers! Here's Ch.30! I had a lot of fun writing this one, so I hope you enjoy it. I finally get to introduce one of my favorite characters from the whole series: you'll know who I mean once you get there! Quick update: I still have a few more plot points that I need to set up before the timeskip, so I'm not sure exactly when the Time-skip will be; but I promise it's coming soon! Enjoy the chapter, and as always: let me know what you think!**

**Chapter 30:**

Sai was incredibly nervous. He could feel a trickle of sweat running down his cheek, causing a slight shiver of discomfort to tingle along his spine. His inky black eyes peered up cautiously as he made eye contact with the man who was creating his state of anxiousness, only to quickly avert his eyes again in shame.

He had failed considerably. He knew he should've followed Naruto into the Uchiha district, but he had the feeling that he would only compromise his mission if he had done so at the time! After all, the Uchiha were planning a coup for Kami's sake! They would not react kindly to an unknown shinobi spying around their compound. They would've captured him and demanded to know what he was doing there. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem for Sai, or any agent of Root for that matter. All of Lord Danzo's subjects were given a seal on their tongue that prevented them from ever speaking about anything related to Danzo or Root. This was done as a safeguard for Danzo, and to protect the classified information about various missions that had been done by the organization that many could use to incriminate Sai's master. But the Uchiha had other means to extract information beyond getting it verbally. They could use their kekkei genkai: the sharingan, to simply force the information out of Sai, or put him in a genjutsu so powerful he might think that he was simply having a conversation with Lord Danzo himself!

So in the end, Sai had deemed going after Naruto and Sasuke to be too dangerous, and simply let them go. Which brought him where he was right now.

* * *

><p>Danzo regarded Sai with a cold fury burning in his eyes. He had expected much more from the pale-skinned boy. He was disappointed.<p>

"Explain to me why you did not stay within the parameters of your mission..." Danzo said with an undertone of menace laced in his voice.

He watched as Sai stared back at him, no expression on his face, but it was easy to tell that the young boy was frightened if the sweat trickling down his face was any indication. The show of weakness disgusted Danzo immensely.

"I thought that it would jeopardize my cover if I were to follow Uzumaki into the Uchiha district without pretense, My Lord..." Sai reasoned.

Danzo's visible eyebrow rose in interest as he smirked slightly.

_'It's time to deconstruct his reasoning...' _Danzo thought as he continued to gaze at the boy, and then said:

"Do you think so little of the superb training I have given you? This chance to aid my cause? You are trained to remain in the shadows, Sai. I made sure of that. Did you let your emotions cloud your judgment? If so, perhaps I should have another Root operative take over your mission while we retrain you to do what is required of you without doubt or hesitation!"

Danzo watched with grim satisfaction as Sai's eyes narrowed slightly at the taunting nature of his diatribe.

"Were you so unsure of your own skills that you thought you wouldn't be able to evade a few incompetent Uchiha guards and two Academy students?" Danzo continued mercilessly. "My orders were very clear: follow the Uzumaki boy wherever he goes, and keep tabs on him at all times! You have failed me at a most critical time!"

Danzo watched with annoyance as Sai slightly flinched at his words. Using the boy was a double-edged sword. On one hand, thanks to his rigorous training through his program: Sai was leaps and bounds ahead of the Academy students he attended class with. There would not be a situation the boy wouldn't be able to handle when it came to concealing or utilizing his skills, depending on the situation. But on the other hand, the boy was still fresh from his Root training. He still had a semblance of his emotions left. This meant that he could doubt himself, fear unknowns, and completely make decisions based solely on his emotional state: rather than use the cold, hard logic Danzo demanded from all of his operatives. However, Danzo's only other choice in an operative that could possibly masquerade as an Academy student was...indisposed at the moment. So, he would have to make due with Sai.

This is not to say that the boy had not made great strides in his mission however. Sai had informed him about how he had inadvertently mended the blooming friendship between the Rice country refugee girl and Uzumaki after another girl had tampered with the girl's perception of Uzumaki. That showed tact that Danzo was satisfied with. Sai had also, in that same day, become a friend of Uzumaki. That was excellent progress. It would be much easier to watch Uzumaki and learn about what made the boy tick if Sai was trusted by him!

Danzo dismissed his thoughts as he once more looked down at the boy kneeling at his feet.

"I will give you one more chance, Sai," Danzo stated coldly. "See to it that my faith in you is not misplaced!"

Sai nodded once in understanding and lifted his head to fix his eyes on Danzo.

"I will not fail you, Lord Danzo." Sai said simply.

Danzo nodded and dismissed the boy, who vanished in a swirl of leaves. Danzo made his way down the long, cavernous walkways of his underground base thinking deeply about his plans for the present and the future. It was imperative that he not make a forceful move for Uzumaki. Not only would that get the old fool Hiruzen and his loyal followers on his case, but it would also incur the wrath of the mysterious masked figure that had visited him with a warning about leaving the boy alone. Of the two, he worried more about the variable he couldn't factor: the masked shadow. He had no idea what the masked fiend could possibly plan to do with Uzumaki, nor did he intend on simply standing aside as it made it's move. In any game of strategy, it was best to always have layers of contingencies, this also held true in the life of a shinobi. He would have to figure out a way to get Uzumaki to come to him willingly...but how?

Danzo made his way towards his private chambers and stepped inside, moving slowly towards his desk. As he sat down he noticed a file sitting on his desk that wasn't there previously.

Immediately suspicious, he carefully created a shadow clone and ordered it to open the package. When the file folder did not explode, or show any signs of malicious traps, Danzo relaxed slightly. With a nod at his clone to continue analyzing the folder, he waited patiently to see what the contents could possibly hold. After several minutes of reading, Danzo watched as his clone turned to him with a smirk and dispelled itself: sending it's memories back to him.

Once Danzo had assimilated the knowledge his clone had imparted to him, he let out a sinister chuckle that reverberated off the walls of his chambers.

"It seems I've found my answer..."

* * *

><p>Naruto sneezed loudly as he and Sasuke made their way to the Academy. Naruto quickly wiped at his nose, causing Sasuke to take a few steps away from him for good measure.<p>

"What?" Naruto snapped at his friend. "It was just a sneeze!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Naruto and hissed:

"Yeah: but it's impolite to not cover it up! You could get me sick! Or worse: I might catch your stupidity!"

Naruto laughed sarcastically at Sasuke's jibe, and the two of them continued walking until Naruto caught sight of a familiar figure standing a ways down the street.

"HEY SAI!" Naruto bellowed, causing Sasuke to slap his hands over his ears in annoyance and several nearby villagers to scowl at Naruto, who completely ignored the glares in favor of running to greet his friend.

* * *

><p>Sasuke made no move to follow after Naruto to greet Sai. He didn't like the kid one bit. 'Something' about him seemed suspect, although Sasuke couldn't begin to guess what that 'something' was.<p>

As he continued walking at a leisurely pace, he noticed that the scowling villagers had gone right back to their business as soon as Naruto left the scene. That confused Sasuke to no end. He thought about the night of the coup when the Uchiha guards kept referring to Naruto as a 'demon', while they led the two of them through the Uchiha District. _'Well, they led me...' _Sasuke thought bitterly. _'They dragged Naruto like a wild animal...!' _The memory of his friend being treated so callously caused a rush of anger to swell in Sasuke's stomach. He just didn't understand what it was about Naruto that made the villagers and even members of his clan so spiteful of him! It wasn't as if his friend was guilty of some heinous act: besides the occasional prank or two! Sasuke scowled as he continued walking and observing the villagers. Some caught him looking at them and gave him a warm smile in greeting. The gesture only made Sasuke's scowl deepen. It irritated him to no end that _he _could be treated like a normal Konoha citizen while Naruto couldn't. It just wasn't fair.

Sasuke's thoughts were driven off when he heard the voice of his friend call out to him.

"Hey, Sasuke! What's the hold-up!? Let's go!"

Sasuke smirked as he quickened his pace to catch up to Naruto. He figured that as long as his friend didn't let the villager's mistreatment of him get him down, then Sasuke wouldn't worry about it either.

"Yeah, yeah!" Sasuke replied testily as he jogged to meet Naruto and Sai. "Quiet down, dope..."

* * *

><p>Sarutobi's eyebrow twitched in annoyance as he surveyed the scene before him.<p>

In his office, directly in front of his desk, stood a red and blue-colored toad. A rather large red and blue-colored toad, that had to be at least a six feet tall and half as wide. That was annoying to Sarutobi. But not as annoying as the man who stood atop the toad, posing and proclaiming:

"Ladies shiver with delight as I pass by, Men turn green with envy at my prowess! Behold: it is I, the Gallant Jiraiya, Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku!"

There was absolute silence after Jiraiya's introduction, that was only interrupted when one of Sarutobi's hidden ANBU coughed slightly.

Sarutobi adjusted his hat, and took a long, steadying breath.

"Welcome back, Jiraiya-kun," He said with a kind smile, which quickly turned into a frown. "However, I expected you back days ago. Much has happened here in the village since you've been gone."

Jiraiya dispelled the toad he was perched on, sending it back to Mount Myoboku, and landed on the floor gracefully. Sarutobi looked over his former student with a mixture of pride and exasperation.

He was a tall man with waist length, spiky white hair that was tied back into a pony tail. He also had two shoulder-length bangs that framed both sides of his face. He had dark, playful eyes, that had two red lines that ran down from them, in a sort of nod at Kabuki-style make-up. He had a noticeable wart on the left side of his nose, and wore a brilliant grin. But, his attire was even more outlandish than his introduction! If Sarutobi didn't personally train Jiraiya, or know how great of a shinobi the man actually was, he would have to ask himself what in the world Jiraiya hoped to accomplish by his choice in clothing.

He wore a green short shirt kimono and matching pants; under which he wore mesh armor that was visible from the sleeves and legs of his outfit. His wardrobe was completed with hand guards, a simple black belt, traditional Japanese geta (wooden sandals), a red haori with two simple yellow circles on each side, and a large scroll on his back. On the man's forehead, in place of where a traditional Konoha hitai-ate should've been, was a horned hitai-ate, with the kanji for oil printed upon it. '

_'Completely outlandish!'_ thought Sarutobi. '_It's amazing his enemies don't see him coming from three countries away!'_

Jiraiya scratched the back of his head as he laughed sheepishly.

"Forgive me sensei!" Jiraiya pleaded as he reached into his robes and withdrew a small, orange book. "I needed to finish up a manuscript I was working on and I got caught up! In fact: here's a gift for you!"

Sarutobi's eyes locked on the book with such intensity it was surprising that the book did not spontaneously burst into flames. He glanced left and right, and then at seemingly random positions in his office before snapping his fingers.

All at once, five ANBU appeared before him, kneeling.

"Leave us, please." Sarutobi commanded authoritatively. The ANBU all glanced at one another, most likely in resignation, and quickly vanished from the room.

Once Sarutobi was certain that only Jiraiya and himself were the only ones left in his office, he snatched the orange book out of his student's hand faster than the Fourth's Hiraishin Level Two.

"This is the best gift a man could ask for, Jiraiya-kun!" Sarutobi cheered as he reverently placed the book in a secure desk drawer and locked it with a key that he seemed to conjure out of thin air. Jiraiya simply smirked.

'_Typical sensei,' _Jiraiya thought. _'Give him the latest copy of my marvelous book series and he forgets that he was even mad!' _

Sarutobi folded his hands on his desk as he adopted a more professional demeanor and regarded Jiraiya seriously, effectively wiping the smug expression off of his face.

"We have much to discuss, Jiraiya-kun." Sarutobi said gravely as he gestured to the chair in front of his desk. "Sit down and make yourself comfortable: this may take a while..."

Jiraiya could only nod solemnly as he plopped down in the proffered chair, and met his sensei's grim expression with an equally concerned one.

_'What on earth has happened since I was away?' _Jiraiya thought grimly. _'I was only gone for a couple of weeks!'_

Needless to say, Jiraiya would get his answer, and he wasn't going to like it.

* * *

><p>Sasame sighed dejectedly as she entered the Academy building and trudged towards the classroom.<p>

She had recently heard from Naruto about the events that had taken place the day he was absent from class. Needless to say, she was both shocked and a little bit jealous. Shocked because she couldn't believe the village came so close to an all-out civil war, and jealous because she kind of wished she was able to be present during the events that Naruto described. She was equal parts horrified and irritated when Naruto relayed the story about his blotched diversion to get into the Uchiha District with Sasuke. She found it hard to believe that he called: 'screaming for anyone who was watching the walls to come out' a diversion. She was also repulsed by the mention of Naruto getting bound in ninja wire and dragged through the district by Sasuke's clansmen! She had no idea why they would do something so terrible to someone as nice as Naruto! Granted, he _was _an intruder, whereas Sasuke was not, but still: dragging someone through the streets like that? It sounded like a punishment that one would submit a criminal to!

She sighed again as she pushed open the door of the classroom and stepped inside.

She was one of the first people to show up, as was normal. At the orphanage where she currently resided, Sasame was all too eager to get out of the dismal place as soon as humanely possible. It wasn't that the orphanage was a bad place to stay by any means, but it was, for lack of a better term: depressing. The children there seemed so lost and confused, as if they couldn't comprehend how fate had decreed it proper that they stay there, while other kids their age were allowed to stay with their families. It made her heart ache to see such young children suffer so. The fact remained however, that she was no better off. She had lost everything in a matter of days. Her family, her home, and her freedom, until she was brought to Konoha.

Sasame slowly made her way up the stairs to her seat near the back of the classroom, and flopped down in her seat, resting her head on the table. She was alerted to someone's presence when she heard a voice address her:

"What's wrong with you? Are you sick?" The voice asked.

Sasame looked up to meet the gaze of Yamanaka Ino, who was watching her with a curious expression etched on her face.

Sasame didn't know how she felt about Ino, except that she typed the girl as the kind of person who needed to know what was going on with everyone all the time. She came off as bossy and a bit demanding, but Sasame had seen the girl's good points too. She remembered all to well how Ino had stood up for another girl, Sakura when Ami and her friends were bullying her during lunch. Grateful for the girl's intervention, the two were now inseparable. And low and behold, as Sasame lowered her gaze from Ino to the other students in the classroom, she saw the pink-haired girl looking in their direction curiously.

Sasame looked back at Ino and sighed:

"I'm okay," she said reassuringly. "I'm just a bit tired, is all. Thanks Ino-san..."

Ino's face scrunched up in annoyance at Sasame's answer.

"I don't believe that for one second, Sasame!" Ino cried, slapping a hand down on Sasame's desk, which made the girl pop her head up in alarm. "Also, call me Ino-chan! We're friends, aren't we?"

Sasame blinked up at the girl in confusion. She wasn't aware that they were friends.

"Um," Sasame stuttered. "I s-suppose so, Ino-chan?"

Ino smiled widely at Sasame's answer and plopped down in the the seat next to her.

"Now," Ino continued with a smile. "Tell me what's wrong!"

Sasame was hesitant to tell the girl much of anything about her worries. Ino had a reputation around the Academy as the 'Gossip Queen'. Sasame wasn't sure she trusted Ino not to tell everyone about her worries.

Seemingly sensing Sasame's hesitance, Ino wrapped an arm around Sasame's shoulders and whispered:

"Look, I only gossip about things that aren't personal," Ino reassured her. "If a friend tells me their worries or anything like that, I'd never spill their secrets out to anyone! I swear by my clan!"

Sasame smiled softly at the reassurance and nodded slowly.

Sasame ended up telling Ino everything that was bothering her. From her feelings of isolation from the rest of the Konoha populace and students at the Academy to her jealousy that she wasn't able to witness the events Naruto had described to her about the Uchiha coup.

Ino frowned after Sasame finished.

"Sounds like you really needed to get all of that off of your chest, Sasame-chan," She said seriously. "How about we eat lunch together today: me, you, and Sakura!"

Sasame glanced over at Sakura who was diligently reading a textbook, but sparing glances in their direction every so often. Deciding to take a chance, Sasame smiled and nodded.

Ino beamed at her and gave her a pat on the back.

"Don't worry about fitting in here," Ino advised her warmly. "I'll show you the ropes!"

Sasame nodded happily. Ino shot her another grin and made her way back over to Sakura, who placed down her book and began to quietly talk to her.

Sasame sighed as she watched several more of her classmates make their way to their various seats.

_'Where's Naruto-san, Sasuke-san, and Sai-san?' _she wondered as she looked around. If they were late again, she was sure that Iruka would have all three of them doing lines.

Speaking of Sai, Sasame was at a loss as to what the boy was up to when he simply departed the Academy during lunch. She didn't have time to really think about it at the time, because Ami was filling her ears with drabble about her 'beloved Sasuke-kun'. But after lunch, as she sat in her seat listening only halfheartedly to Iruka's lecture, her mind began to spin with curiosity over the pale-skinned boy's strange behavior. Where was he going? And why? Sasame didn't have an answer. She only knew for certain that there was something equal parts suspicious and sad about Sai. The fact that the boy didn't seem to know how to smile, nor how to interact with people on a whole was an obvious sign of that. She also noticed that Sai seemed completely devoid of emotions. The mere thought of that sent a shiver up her spine. Her father had told her once that she should be wary of people who aren't able to show emotion. Something about them being very dangerous. But Sai didn't seem dangerous. He just seemed odd. There was also the matter of why Sai was the way he was. What could have possibly happened to make the boy seem so...detached?

Sasame's thoughts were abruptly halted when she noticed the classroom door slide open with a bang, and the very people she was thinking about walked into the room.

Her eyes widened as she took in their appearance. For some reason, Sai and Sasuke looked completely filthy. Sasuke was shooting death glares at Sai, while Sai (as usual) had his 'weird smile' on his face. Naruto however, was the only one who seemed unblemished. In fact, the boy was wearing a positively happy smile on his face. He kept glancing back at the two other boys and chuckling. Sasame wondered what that was all about.

She watched as the three of them made their way towards her and sat down in their seats. Naruto beamed at her happily as he sat down, while Sasuke marched right past her, only giving a curt grunt in greeting as he moodily marched to his seat, sat down, and began to glance out the window. Sai walked past her and gave her a polite nod in greeting and made his way up the stairs to his seat next to the civilian girl named Akiko.

Sasame turned to Naruto, who was currently laughing at Sasuke, while the boy tried to hit him.

"Um, Naruto-san," She began in bewilderment. "What on earth happened to you guys?"

Naruto began to laugh in earnest, while Sasuke slammed his head down on the desk, muttering something that sounded like: 'stupid Sai'. Sasame waited until Naruto stopped laughing and added:

"Well?"

Naruto wiped a tear from his eye as he took a deep breath to calm himself and then addressed her.

"Well, it all started like this..."

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback: Thirty minutes before Naruto's arrival at the Academy:<strong>

Naruto ignored the glares of the villagers as he ran to catch up with Sai, who was glancing in a store window with a blank expression on his face. Sai turned when he heard his name being called and gave Naruto a smile.

"Hello, Naruto-san," Sai said politely. Naruto blinked at Sai's greeting. Sometimes he really couldn't understand why Sai insisted on acting so weird when he talked to people! It was as if the guy had no clue how to socialize! Not that Naruto was any better in some ways, mind you.

"Hey, what're you looking at?" Naruto asked curiously as he turned to peer into the window that had drawn Sai's attention before he had called out to him.

Inside the window, Naruto could make out what looked like art supplies. Paintbrushes, easels, and various tablets of all sizes were stocked inside the store. Naruto's eyebrows rose as he turned to fix his gaze back on Sai.

"Do you like to paint or something?" Naruto asked inquiringly.

Sai nodded.

"It's one of my hobbies that I can remember that I liked doing." He replied.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. What did _that _mean? Was Sai saying that he lost his memories or something?

"What do you mean by that?" Naruto asked in confusion.

Sai seemed to realize that he had almost said too much, and quickly backtracked.

"I meant to say that I liked doing that before I started at the Academy," he replied, hoping Naruto would buy it. "With homework and how long class is, I don't really have time for it anymore..."

Naruto squinted his eyes at Sai suspiciously, but not a moment later burst into a smile.

"Well, that's a shame!" He chirped. " 'Everybody needs a hobby' is what Anko-sensei always says!"

Naruto's brow furrowed.

"Although her hobbies usually involve her chasing me through the village for some reason or another..."

* * *

><p>Sai was silently praying that Naruto wouldn't inquire any further about his earlier statement. Although, he began to relax slightly when Naruto began to talk about his sensei. Thankfully, the boy was very dense when it came to gleaning information out of people. Sai pretended to listen as Naruto went on about how his sensei found it fun to chase him around during training, and throw kunai at him, but in reality; he was thinking about his mission.<p>

He couldn't let Lord Danzo down this time. It took everything he had not to cower before the man while he was admonished for his failures. Lord Danzo was not a joking kind of man. If he warned him that he would replace him with another operative if he didn't start doing his mission properly, he meant it. The very thought of failing made Sai's heart speed up. He had no idea what happened to Root operatives when they failed a mission. Were they simply punished? Or would something else happen to him? Would he end up the same way as Shin...?

Sai shook away the thought. He had to concentrate on his mission.

* * *

><p>Naruto continued to rant about his sensei until he realized that Sai wasn't listening to him. He scowled and began to wave his hand in front of the boy's face, only to be surprised when the boy didn't so much as blink.<p>

"Hello? Sai?" Naruto called, continuing to wave his hand in Sai's face.

Sai blinked and looked at him.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I was just thinking about something..."

Naruto tilted his head to the side.

"Oh?" he replied. "What about?"

Sai simply smiled, ignoring the question.

"Where is Sasuke-san?" He asked, causing Naruto to stop scowling at being ignored and to wheel around.

He saw the Uchiha boy down the street almost at the same place he had run off to see Sai from. Scowling slightly, Naruto called out:

"Hey, Sasuke! What's the hold-up!? Let's go!"

He saw Sasuke begin to quicken his pace, and it was only a matter of moments before he caught up to them.

The three boys began to walk towards the Academy again, Naruto going on about one thing or another while the other two boys simply listened.

It wasn't until they were right outside the Academy that trouble started.

* * *

><p>The three of them were halfway to the door of the building when a familiar voice called out to them.<p>

"Hey Sasuke!" Came the loud voice of Kiba. All three of the boys turned to face the feral-looking boy, who stood a few feet behind them, arms crossed with a smug look on his face.

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow as he faced Kiba.

"Yeah, what?" He replied flatly.

Kiba seemed to bristle slightly at Sasuke's dismissive attitude and hollered:

"Fight me! One on one! Right now!"

Naruto rolled his eyes. Leave it to Kiba to want to pick a fight right before class.

"Shut up, Kiba," Naruto groaned, slapping a hand on his head in exasperation. "You always try to pick a fight with Sasuke, and when you do: you always end up with your face in the dirt!"

Kiba snarled and pointed a finger at Naruto angrily.

"Shut up, Naruto!" Kiba snapped. "This is between Alphas! Know your place!"

Naruto yawned loudly and plopped down on the ground and crossed his arms, shaking his head slightly as he did so.

"Whatever," He sighed. "It's your pride. Don't come crying to me when you have to clean the dirt out of your mouth..."

Kiba turned to face Sasuke again and grinned, showing off his large canine teeth.

"So, what do you say, Sasuke?!" He declared.

Sasuke said nothing for several moments as he simply stared at the Inuzuka boy with an air of indifference.

"I say," replied Sasuke after a few moments. "That I'm not interested, dog boy."

Kiba's face scrunched up in a mixture of outrage and disbelief.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN: YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED!?" Kiba barked. "THIS IS A FIGHT TO DETERMINE WHO WILL BE ALPHA AND WHO WON'T BE!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and placed his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah," he replied in a bored tone. "I don't care. Go find someone else to fight. It's too easy to beat you..."

Kiba's nostrils flared as he began to stalk towards Sasuke, but was stopped when he felt a firm hand grasp his shoulder. Kiba looked up and paled as his gaze meet the stern one of their sensei, Iruka.

"Kiba," Iruka began irritably. "I understand that in the Inuzuka Clan it's commonplace for you to have to assert your dominance. But this isn't your clan's compound."

Kiba's face flushed with anger.

"B-but, sensei...!" He stammered.

Iruka's face darkened.

"This will be the _tenth _time that I've warned you about this," Iruka informed him. "Now, you're going to go to class right now, and I'll be paying a visit to your mother to let her know about this!"

Kiba's face paled to the color of chalk, as he let out what sounded like a whimper.

"I'll go, sensei!" Kiba pleaded. "J-just don't tell my mom! She'll skin me alive!"

Iruka pointed at the door of the Academy and Kiba scampered off at top speed, disappearing into the building. Iruka sighed and shook his head in exasperation and then turned to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sai.

"Class is about to start," Iruka stated. "Come on you three, hurry up!"

Iruka shot all three of them a stern look before turning on his heels and walking into the building.

Naruto stood up and stretched, a smile on his face.

"Well! That was uneventful!" He laughed. "I was kind of hoping you'd put Kiba in his place again, Sasuke!"

Sasuke shot Naruto an annoyed look.

"You're stronger than me you know," Sasuke huffed as he jammed his hands back into his pockets with a bitter expression etched upon his face. "You could easily take Kiba down a peg or two! Do it yourself, dope!"

Naruto shrugged in a 'I-can't-because-Anko-sensei-told-me-I'm-not-allowed-to-fight' gesture. Sasuke rolled his eyes, somehow able to glean the meaning behind his friend's simple gesture.

The two of them began to walk towards the Academy entrance when suddenly Sai chimed in, saying:

"Wow, you must be pretty dick-less if you turned down a fight so easily, Sasuke-san."

Naruto glanced over cautiously at Sasuke, who had stopped in his tracks, his hair shading his face from view.

_'Oh boy,' _Naruto gulped. _'You've done it now, Sai!'_

"What did you just say to me?" Sasuke whispered in a dark tone.

Sai simply smiled and tilted his head slightly.

"I _said: _you must be pretty dick-less if you turned down a fight so-"

Sai didn't even get to finish before Sasuke lunged at him, knocking him onto the ground. Naruto watched on in a mixture of amusement and shock that Sai had the guts to provoke the Uchiha.

Sasuke and Sai wrestled for several minutes, each getting a few decent hits on one another, before the door of the Academy blasted open, to reveal a livid Iruka who bellowed:

"STOP IT THIS INSTANT! GET YOUR BUTTS INSIDE NOW, OR SO HELP ME KAMI...!"

The three boys didn't need anymore prompting. They all filed in silently after Iruka. Sai with his creepy smile in place, even though his lip was bleeding slightly. Sasuke, who was glaring daggers at Sai, while sporting a slight limp on his right leg, and Naruto: who was cackling his head off at the two of them.

**End Flashback:**

* * *

><p>"And that's what happened!" Naruto finished, much to the surprise of Sasame.<p>

Sasame glanced down a few rows at Kiba, who was glaring kunai in their direction, apparently still sore at being reprimanded by Iruka before he could get his chance to fight. She realized he must be even angrier now that he can see that a fight actually _did _happen, and he wasn't involved. She quickly averted her eyes from the boy, so he wouldn't have a reason to glare at her too.

Turning back to Naruto, who was once again laughing at the absurdity of the entire situation she asked:

"Why didn't you stop the two of them!?"

Naruto looked at Sasame like she had just declared that all ninja should be required to wear green spandex at all times.

Across the village, while kicking a large tree, Might Guy sneezed loudly.

"Are you _kidding_!?" Naruto said in disbelief. "Why would I stop them!? You should've seen it! It was hilarious!"

Sasame watched as Naruto broke into raucous laughter again, and rolled her eyes.

Her gaze shifted to Iruka who walked in the classroom looking thoroughly annoyed. She couldn't imagine why. Iruka stopped at the podium and glared at Naruto, Sasuke, and Sai, and then addressed the rest of the class.

"I'd like to make an announcement before class begins," began Iruka irritably. "If I see any fighting outside of a taijutsu spar, I will personally see to it that anyone involved is thrown out of the Academy! Do you all understand!?"

Most of the class was not privy to the fight that had broken out just minutes ago, and simply nodded with confused expressions on their faces. Meanwhile, Kiba simply crossed his arms and huffed indignantly, while Sasuke glared at Sai, who simply smiled back at him. Naruto was snickering softly beside her and she had to resist the urge to smack him on the back of the head.

Seeing that his point was made clear, Iruka began to clear his throat to continue on with whatever he was going to say next, when there was a sudden knock on the classroom door.

Everyone's attention shifted to the source of the knocking, and the classroom door slowly slid open to reveal a middle aged man with long white hair and a very strange outfit. Most shocking about the man was his harried appearance. He looked like he had just been tied in a burlap sack with Tora and then thrown down a flight of stairs.

Iruka's jaw dropped slightly when he took in the appearance of the man, but after a few moments he suddenly found his voice.

"Master Jiraiya," Iruka breathed. "W-what happened to you?"

Jiraiya smiled widely and waved off Iruka's question dismissively.

"Ah, you know: the usual!" He replied with a booming laugh.

Sasame assumed by the way Iruka's face darkened that whatever this 'Master Jiraiya's' usual thing was: it wasn't a good thing.

"Um, do you need something, Master Jiraiya?" Iruka prompted as the man continued to laugh.

Gathering himself, Jiraiya's face became more serious as he scanned the room. Sasame saw his gaze linger in her direction for a moment before he turned back to Iruka and replied:

"Yes I do, actually!"

Sasame suddenly realized that this Jiraiya man wasn't looking at her at all! He was looking at...

"I need to borrow Naruto Uzumaki right away."

**AN:**** Hooray for Jiraiya! He's honestly in my top five favorite characters in the whole series! Therefore, I couldn't wait to bring him into the story. I did allude to his appearance a few chapters back, if you recall. Anywho, the next few chapters will be for tying up some loose ends and setting up plot, so we can move into 'super canon fun land!' Till next time! Afroman007, signing out!**


	31. Chapter 31

**AN: Yo! Afroman007 here with yet another installment of: The Fox's Shadow! This chapter has a lot of comedic moments between Naruto and Jiraiya, and Sarutobi so I hope you enjoy it! **

**Chapter 31:**

Naruto was instantly on his guard when he saw the strangely dressed man walk into the classroom. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he was sure that he recognized the man from somewhere. He watched with a keen eye as the man's gaze swept across the room, and suddenly held his for a brief moment. Naruto blinked in surprise. For a moment, he could've sworn he saw something that resembled fondness in the man's eyes! He shook his head slightly. No, that couldn't be it! He had never met a random stranger in Konoha that looked at him with anything other than blatant dismissal of scorn.

Naruto's dismal reasoning was abruptly cut off, when he clearly heart something that made his heart skip a beat:

"I need to borrow Naruto Uzumaki right away..." Came the voice of the man, as he once again locked eyes with Naruto.

Naruto glanced around the room, only to notice that everyone was looking at him suspiciously.

"I didn't do anything!" Naruto yelled defensively. "I've been framed!"

Naruto turned his head to look at Sasame, who was watching him with a worried expression on her face.

"Naruto-san..." Sasame said softly. "Do you know that person?"

Naruto shook his head furiously.

"I've never seen him in my life, Sasame-chan!" Naruto replied vehemently. "I'd remember someone who dressed so badly!"

Naruto felt a small wave of killer intent directed at him, and turned his gaze back onto the older man, who was glaring at him indignantly.

"I'll have you know gaki (brat)," he began in a low growl. "That my clothes are very fashionable! Now hurry up and get down here I don't have all day!"

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the man and spat:

"Like hell I'm going anywhere with you! Who do you think you are anyways!?"

"NARUTO!" Iruka bellowed in outrage. "Don't be rude! This is-!"

"Don't worry about it Iruka!" The man laughed, as he bit his thumb, drawing blood. "I'll give them a proper introduction!"

Iruka's face paled and he raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"N-no Master Jiraiya," he stammered. "There's no need for you to-!"

But, Iruka's plea fell on deaf ears. The man flew through a series of handseals and slammed his palm down on the ground, where it erupted in a large plume of smoke that enveloped the classroom, obscuring everyone's vision. When it died down, everyone's jaw dropped in a mixture of shock, awe, and repulsion.

The man was now standing on a large orange and blue toad, and was now performing some kind of bizarre dance as he sang:

"Thanks for asking, brat! I'm Mount Myoboku's Number One Sage! The Legendary Toad Hermit: Jiraiya!"

He ended his dance with a strange hopping step, and posed.

The classroom was so quiet you could hear a senbon drop.

Jiraiya, stood up awkwardly, dismissed his toad summon, and crossed his arms with a pout on his face.

"Kids these days," he grumbled. "They wouldn't know an awesome introduction if it slapped them in the face!"

More silence.

Jiraiya gritted his teeth in annoyance and pointed at Naruto.

"Come on gaki!" He bellowed. "Get moving!"

Naruto looked helplessly at Iruka, who shrugged and gestured for Naruto to go.

Naruto scowled at his teacher's poor effort to defend him from going anywhere with the strange toad guy and grudgingly began to walk down the steps towards Jiraiya, who smiled widely.

"That's the spirit, gaki: let's go!" He cheered, as he grabbed Naruto's wrist and dragged him out of the classroom, without so much as a goodbye, leaving the rest of the class in a stupor.

* * *

><p>"Iruka-sensei?" Came the voice of Sakura, whose face was slightly pale. "Was that Jiraiya...of the Sannin?"<p>

Iruka sighed dejectedly and nodded his head, causing the girl to gasp.

"B-but," she stammered. "He's so _weird _!"

Iruka sighed again and replied:

"Master Jiraiya is one of the Leaf's best shinobi...but yes, Saukra. He's very weird: very weird, indeed."

* * *

><p>Naruto finally managed to pull himself free of Jiraiya's grip as they made it outside the entrance of the Academy. He stopped dead in his tracks, crossing his arms and bellowed:<p>

"What's the big idea, toad guy! Why'd you call me out like that in front of the whole class!?"

Jiraiya turned and frowned at the boy.

"Firstly, it's Jiraiya. Or Lord Jiraiya. _Or: _Lord Jiraiya is the most magnificent ninja in the world! Got it, gaki?" Jiraiya replied indignantly.

Naruto continued to glare at him and he sighed.

"Look, gaki," he added. "I figured that someone at your level in ninja training must get bored sitting in class like that, and I figured you'd be thankful for me giving you an excuse to leave! I guess I was wrong?"

Naruto's face relaxed as he began to shake his head.

"No! No!" He replied earnestly. "I really do get bored sitting in class!"

Jiraiya smirked as he crossed his arms.

"Then why all of the attitude?" He asked.

Naruto frowned.

"I have no clue who you are, or what you want: that's why!" Naruto explained. "You'll understand that I'm not going to trust someone who I've never met before! Been there, done that: and it never turned out well..."

It was Jiraiya's turn to frown as he observed the put-out expression on the boy's face.

'_Sensei,' _Jiraiya thought, anger starting to bubble up inside him. '_Are you sure you really watched out for Naruto as much as you claim you did?'_

Noticing that Naruto was staring at him with a bit of apprehension, Jiraiya flashed him a smile.

"Listen gaki," he began. "I'm here to examine your seal. Didn't sensei say anything to you about that?"

Naruto blinked and took a step away from Jiraiya in alarm. How did this guy know about his seal?

Jiraiya held up his hands in a pacifying gesture.

"Relax!" He said with a chuckle. "My sensei is the Third: you know him, don't you?"

Naruto continued to look at Jiraiya suspiciously, but nodded.

Jiraiya ran a hand through his mane of hair and sighed.

"Jeez," He breathed, observing Naruto with a shake of his head. "I didn't realize you'd be so jumpy! Listen: let's just go see the Hokage, and we can work this whole thing out, okay?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed, but when Jiraiya began to walk away, he followed.

* * *

><p>As the two of them made their way down the streets of the village, Naruto noticed many men give Jiraiya wide smiles and looks of great respect, while any women on the streets seemed to hiss and glower as he glanced in their direction. At first, Naruto thought that the women were glaring at him; until he noticed one of the women call the Toad Sage a 'pervert'. Naruto scowled as he picked up his pace and began to walk alongside Jiraiya.<p>

Jiraiya glanced down when he noticed Naruto's gaze fixed on him and smirked.

"Need something, gaki?" He asked casually.

Naruto furrowed his brow. He didn't mind Anko-sensei calling him 'brat' but for some reason when Jiraiya called him that it really pissed him off.

"My name's Naruto, Toad Guy!" Naruto bellowed as he pointed a defiant finger in the man's face. "Don't call me gaki!"

Jiraiya, a very mature and level-headed ninja of many years decided to act his age... and replied:

"And my name's Jiraiya!" He snapped back,now pointing his finger in Naruto's face. "Not _Toad Guy_! Learn how to respect your elders!"

The two of them had a heated staring match for several moments before Naruto asked:

"If you're supposed to be some great shinobi, how'd you get beat up so badly then!?"

Jiraiya, instead of getting mad, smiled lecherously as he took in Naruto's question, much to the boy's surprise.

"Oh, it's a great story!" Jiraiya rejoiced with a giggle. "But you're far too young to hear about it!"

Naruto huffed and crossed his arms with a pout.

"Fine! I don't really care anyways!"

Jiraiya rolled his eyes and started walking again. Naruto glared at his back for several moments before he began following him once more.

* * *

><p>Jiraiya frowned as he walked the streets of Konoha with Naruto. He noticed how almost all the villagers glared at the boy with hatred and disgust as they walked by. The mere sight of their actions both appalled and angered him. They were all so blind to the truth! If it wasn't for Naruto, the Kyuubi would be able to wreak havoc on the village once again! Jiraiya paused slightly before he started walking again: he realized that that wasn't quite true, if what his sensei told him was accurate.<p>

Much to his surprise, Sarutobi had informed him earlier today that Naruto had already been in contact with the fox for over a year; without any sort of negative consequences. There wasn't any effort on the part of Kyuubi to possess the boy; not that the overgrown fuzzball could, due to the complexity of Minato's seal! Nor was there any attempt by the Kyuubi to force it's chakra through the seal, which could and would (over time) weaken it. The fact that the Bijuu didn't attempt the latter was both a comfort and a source of unease for Jiraiya. He was glad that the young boy didn't have to deal with the complications that came from mixing Bijuu chakra with his own at such a young age, but he also worried that when the time came for Naruto to do so, he wouldn't be able to. What if the fox refused to lend any of it's power to Naruto when the boy really needed it?

That brought him to another thing he was told earlier by his sensei that he found hard to believe. According to Sarutobi, Naruto had actually become friends somewhat with the fox! How that was possible, Jiraiya had no idea. He had always imagined that the Kyuubi was nothing but a mass of hatred! How could the fox even comprehend friendship? But then again, what did they really know about the Kyuubi? Perhaps everything they previously thought about the fox was wrong.

Jiraiya glanced over his shoulder to make sure Naruto was still following him. Sure enough, he was greeted with a glare from the boy's icy blue eyes, the same exact color as his father's.

The thought of Minato brought a sharp pain to Jiraiya's heart. It had been seven years, and he still couldn't get over the death of the man he had considered a son in all but blood. Looking at Naruto, who shared a lot of similarities with his deceased student, Jiraiya couldn't understand how no one in the village had ever considered that the boy they mistreated so badly was the son of the hero they adored so much. The irony was unbelievable. The thought of Minato also made Jiraiya think about Naruto's mother: Kushina. Long lustrous red hair, violet eyes, and a killer body! What a knock-out! Jiraiya realized that while Naruto looked like his father, he acted a lot like his mother: he was the perfect combination of the two!

* * *

><p>"Hey Jiraiya! DON'T IGNORE ME!" Naruto bellowed from behind him<p>

Jiraiya sweat-dropped. Naruto _definitely _acted just like his mother.

He turned around to see the boy scowling at him with an irritated expression.

"What!?" Jiraiya asked in annoyance. Naruto scowled even harder in reply.

"I asked you a question! Like eight times!" Naruto retorted, crossing his arms.

"What was the question?" Jiraiya sighed. He wasn't sure he could put up with this kid's attitude: even if he _was_ Minato and Kushina's son.

"I asked you if you know Orochimaru!" Naruto spat.

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. Why did Naruto want to know about _him_? But then the answer hit him. Naruto's sensei at the moment was Anko Mitarashi, a student of his ex-teammate. She must've told the boy stories about him.

"Of course I know him!" He replied indignantly. "I'm one of the Sannin like him! He was my teammate under the Third Hokage, who was our sensei! Didn't you learn about this yet in class!?"

Naruto smiled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Iruka-sensei might've mentioned it..." Naruto chuckled, before adopting a more serious expression. "What was he like? I know Anko-sensei's opinion about him, but you were his teammate: can you tell me?"

Jiraiya sighed as he scratched his head. If he was completely honest with himself, he wanted to talk about Orochimaru just as much as he wanted to give up peeping for the rest of his life. But, he supposed it couldn't hurt to tell Naruto.

"Alright," He relented with a long, drawn out sigh. "I can tell you a few stories about the bastard, but let's keep walking while I do: we don't want to keep sensei waiting."

Naruto beamed brightly as he caught up to Jiraiya and listened in as the man relayed several anecdotes about his former teammate.

* * *

><p>Hiruzen Sarutobi was glaring. At whom, you might ask? He was glaring at his secretary Kimiko: or more accurately, the large stack of papers balanced haphazardly in her thin arms.<p>

"No." He said simply.

Kimiko glared back at him from over the top of the stack of documents.

"Sir," she replied testily. "You have to!"

"I refuse!" He retorted.

"You're the Hokage!" She cried. "Only you can do it!"

"I don't want to." Sarutobi said, acting very much like a child.

Kimiko staggered over to his desk and slammed the large stack of unsigned documents on his desk, scowling as she did so.

"Pardon my forwardness sir," Kimiko said scathingly. "But I know for a fact that the only reason you don't want to do your _job _is because you'd rather be reading that disgusting smut book of yours!"

There was a pronounced silence throughout the office, broken only by the sound of Boar, one of Sarutobi's personal ANBU guards, who quipped:

"BURN."

Sarutobi glared at him, even though Boar was using a transparency jutsu to blend in with the left wall of the office.

Kimiko huffed and crossed her arms indignantly.

"Forgive me sir, but I find it simply deplorable that you read such filth! You should set a better example! You're our leader!"

Sarutobi nodded glumly in resignation. However, mentally his thought process was something along the lines of:

'_No wonder Naruto-kun complains about you so much, Kimiko-chan!'_

Kimiko pointed at the documents on the aged leader's desk and added:

"There's another two stacks after this one, sir," she informed Sarutobi who fought the urge to sob. "I'll bring them in once you finish with this one."

Without waiting for a reply, Kimiko strode from the room, closing the office door with a snap.

* * *

><p>Sarutobi glared at the stack of papers towering in front of him, and in a fit of madness, began to go through the necessary handsigns to perform an A-Rank katon jutsu, much to his hidden ANBU's horror.<p>

To their relief, Sarutobi was interrupted from incinerating the blasted wastes of paper when his office door opened once more, and Naruto and his student, Jiraiya walked in.

Jiraiya's eyebrows rose when he noticed his sensei's hands were frozen in the tiger sign, signifying that he was about to perform a katon jutsu of some kind. He smirked.

"Paperwork finally getting to you, sensei?" He asked smugly.

Sarutobi quickly released his hands and cleared his throat importantly.

"I have no idea what you mean, Jiraiya-kun." He replied neutrally.

Jiraiya sighed and shook his head in amusement.

"Whatever you say, sensei," He added with a skeptical tone. "I brought Naruto with me, just like you asked."

Sarutobi folded his hands on his desk and regarded Naruto, who had a bemused expression on his face.

"Old Man," the boy began in confusion. "Why does this guy have to examine my seal?"

Jiraiya slapped Naruto on the head, causing the boy to let out an cry of indignation.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Naruto bellowed, scowling at the Toad Sannin, who glared back.

"Show some respect, brat!" Jiraiya replied. "Just when I thought you were okay for a minute, you have to go and act like a brat again!"

The two engaged in a brief exchange of insults before Sarutobi cleared his throat again, causing the two to stop and look at him.

"Jiraiya-kun is a Seal Master, Naruto-kun," He began. "Therefore: he is the only person in the village that can examine your seal and make sure that it is not damaged. Now that I know that you can talk to the fox, I just want to make sure nothing is out of place."

Naruto nodded grudgingly, while Jiraiya simply stuck out his tongue at the boy, causing Naruto to growl at him.

Sarutobi shook his head in exasperation thinking: _'First Anko, and now Jiraiya. Kami help us all when all three of them end up in the same room together... ' _

"I need you to show me the seal, Naruto," Jiraiya said solemnly. "You know how to make it appear, don't you?"

Naruto shot Jiraiya a look of annoyance, but did as he was asked. Channeling some chakra through his coils, the complex seal that held back the might of the Kyuubi appeared on the boy's stomach.

Jiraiya examined the seal for several minutes, making sure nothing was out of place. He was almost done when his eyes widened.

"Wait a minute!" Jiraiya exclaimed. "That wasn't there before: I know it!"

Naruto's face paled, while Sarutobi narrowed his eyes.

"Explain Jiraiya!" Sarutobi commanded.

Jiraiya blinked several times, as if not believing his eyes, and then gestured to the seal on Naruto's stomach.

"There's another seal matrix right above the seal that regulates, what I would assume is,the connection between Naruto and the Kyuubi. I know for a fact that it wasn't there when Min- I mean, the Fourth showed me his notes for the Shiki Fuin."

Naruto's brow furrowed.

"Shiki Fuin...?" He repeated in confusion, looking between both Sarutobi and Jiraiya for an explanation, which the old Hokage gave. Both were grateful the boy didn't notice Jiraiya's near slip of the Fourth's actual name.

"the Shiki Fuin is a very complex seal that the Fourth Hokage used to seal the Kyuubi into you Naruto-kun."

Naruto nodded in understanding and then asked:

"So, what's wrong with it?" He asked with a hint of fear in his voice.

Sarutobi turned his gaze on Jiraiya who scratched his head in bewilderment.

"It's not that anything is wrong with it per say," he began uncertainly. "It's more like something changed to make the seal more adaptable...But that shouldn't be possible without breaking it down completely!"

Sarutobi crossed his arms in thought for several moments before he asked:

"Can it be reversed?"

Jiraiya shook his head as he pointed at the matrix.

"I wouldn't recommend it," He said seriously. "If I were to tamper with the matrix, it could potentially unravel the whole seal formula. I don't understand how the matrix got there though. Only a very advanced seal master would be able to place such a seal with out throwing the whole formula out of balance..."

Sarutobi's eyes narrowed grimly.

"Could it be the work of the 'shadow'?" He asked darkly.

Jiraiya shook his head.

"You've explained it's powers and abilities that you know of so far to me, but this is something not even it could do. If the shadow's objective is to somehow get a hold of Naruto, and the Kyuubi, it wouldn't mess with the seal even if it knew how to. It's too risky."

Naruto crossed his arms moodily, causing his shirt to fall back over his stomach, effectively blocking his seal from sight.

"What are you two talking about!?" Naruto inquired. "I don't understand!"

Jiraiya rolled his eyes at the boy.

"Fuinjutsu is a really complex art, Naruto," he explained. "I wouldn't expect you to understand what we're talking about. If you did: I'd be shocked!"

Naruto's eyebrow twitched.

"Are you calling me dumb, or something!?" He raged, stomping his foot in anger.

Jiraiya slapped his face in resignation.

_'There's no winning with this kid!'_

"Jiraiya-kun simply means that not many people understand fuinjutsu Naruto-kun," Sarutobi reasoned calmly, causing Naruto to settle down. "I told you about this once before, remember? It is the same reason why the villagers and even some ninja cannot tell that you are simply a boy who holds the Kyuubi at bay: not the fox itself."

Naruto smiled brightly and nodded.

"Oh, I get it now! Thanks for clearing that up, Old Man!"

Sarutobi smiled at him and then turned back to Jiraiya with a solemn expression on his face.

"Jiraiya, what does this change in the seal mean for Naruto-kun?" He asked concernedly. "Will it effect him in any negative ways?"

Jiraiya squinted his eyes in thought as he glanced up at the ceiling.

"I honestly can't say," he answered after a short pause. "It could be a positive change or negative: since I can't exactly discern the matrix's actual function in the overall formula, I can't be sure what it will do..."

Sarutobi leaned back in his chair with a sigh.

"I suppose there's nothing else for it then..." He replied wearily.

Naruto looked between the two men with a concerned look on his face.

"Hey," he began nervously. "I'm going to be okay, right?"

Jiraiya cocked an eyebrow at him and smirked.

"I don't know brat," he replied casually. "For all I know, the change in your seal could cause your chakra to back up so badly, you explode!"

Naruto's face paled and he staggered back a few steps in fright, before Jiraiya burst into a fit of raucous laughter, pointing at Naruto who scowled.

"You..should've..seen...your..face!" Jiraiya wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye. "Oh, gaki! That was priceless!"

Naruto's face flushed pink and he quickly averted his gaze from the Toad Sage who continued to snicker at him.

Sarutobi watched on in amusement before he cleared his throat, getting the attention of the two of them.

"Naruto-kun," he began in a warning tone. "I want you to be very careful while you train or utilize chakra from now on. We don't know what this change in your seal will do, so we need to make sure you don't do anything that can possibly trigger it."

Naruto nodded nervously. Sarutobi turned to Jiraiya next and continued.

"And Jiraiya," he went on. "I know that you're busy with your spy network, but would you mind remaining in the village for perhaps a week or two to check on Naruto-kun's seal? It would be too much of a hassle to have to call you back if something changes..."

Jiraiya nodded curtly and smirked.

"Not a problem, sensei!" He cheered. "Perhaps I can get some 'research' done on the side, as well!"

Both men broke into lecherous giggles that greatly confused Naruto, and narrowed his eyes at the two of them.

"What's so funny!?" he demanded, glaring at both of them.

Jiraiya waved aside his demand with an airy indifference.

"Like I said earlier gaki: 'you're to young to hear about it!"

"Why do you keep on saying that!?"

"Because it's true, gaki!"

"No, it's not!"

"Yes, it is!"

"It's probably something stupid, isn't it!?"

Jiraiya gasped.

"Gaki," he breathed. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that!"

"Pretend all you want!" Naruto shot back angrily. "Whatever you and the Old Man are laughing about _is _probably stupid!"

"Oh yeah?" Snarled Jiraiya, rising to the challenge. "Well: you're pretty stupid, brat!"

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yuh-huh!"

Sarutobi was at his wit's end after several more volleys of insults between the two of them. Finally he bellowed:

"THAT'S IT! BOTH OF YOU GET OUT!"

Naruto and Jiraiya both stared at Sarutobi who was breathing heavily, his hands balled into fists. He had a vein pulsing in his forehead, and looked like he would strangle the next person to even make a peep.

It was quiet in the room for several moments until it was suddenly broken.

"Honestly!" Came the exasperated voice of Kimiko as she backed into the door, carrying yet another stack of unsigned documents. "What are you all yelling about in here?"

She made her way across the room with the stack, and plopped the whole pile next to Sarutobi's other one.

"Here you are sir!" She said cheerfully. "I know I said that I'd bring them in later but I figured you'd probably just want to get all of the paperwork done now!"

Not a word was said as Sarutobi glanced down at the stack of papers, and then up at Kimiko, back down at the papers, and then back at the woman once more.

"Kimiko-chan..." Sarutobi began in a warning tone.

Kimiko ignored him and continued to speak:

"I've organized all of the documents by what department they concern. The first fifty concern the repairs that we've done on the tower, you'll want to look at them first. The next one-hundred pages concern the sentences of the various Uchiha who were involved in the coup, Morino-san asked me to tell you that it's imperative you look over them, Oh! And these next seventy pages are about...!"

No one, not even the ANBU stationed in the office noticed Jiraiya sneaking out the window nor Naruto as he made a mad dash for the door and quickly exited.

In fact, the ANBU all decided to use their incredible skill in stealth to quietly vanish from the room as well.

* * *

><p>As they stood outside of the office, careful to keep a good distance from the door, Boar leaned towards his fellow ANBU, Tiger and whispered:<p>

"I'll bet you one-hundred ryo that Lord Hokage blows his top in twenty seconds..."

Tiger turned to look at Boar and replied flatly:

"You're on."

* * *

><p>Naruto and Jiraiya were only a block away from the Hokage Tower when the heard a cry that shook the heavens themselves:<p>

"I DON'T CARE! I'M DONE FOR THE DAY! YOU HEAR ME!? DONEEEEEE!"

* * *

><p>Back in the Tower, Boar turned to Tiger with his hand outstretched, waiting expectantly. Tiger grumbled and withdrew a crisp bill and handed it over to him.<p>

* * *

><p>Various villagers stopped what they were doing and glanced at the tower in alarm, while several shinobi made to rush to the building to make sure everything was alright, before Jiraiya stopped them.<p>

"Don't,"he warned. "Just...don't."

The shinobi all gave the Toad Sannin a questioning look, that he simply shook his head at.

"Seriously," Jiraiya said darkly. "You don't want to get involved..."

The shinobi gathered, all shrugged and walked away, glancing over their shoulders at the Tower as they did so.

Naruto smiled at Jiraiya.

"Good thing we got out when we did!" He beamed. Jiraiya smirked and patted Naruto on the head.

"For once, gaki," he replied. "You're right about something!"

Naruto scowled as he pushed Jiraiya's hand off of his head.

"I can be right about other stuff too, you stupid Toad Guy!" He argued.

Jiraiya crossed his arms defiantly.

"Oh yeah?" He challenged. "Then how about you call me by name? Disrespectful brat!"

"I'm not a brat!" Naruto roared in outrage. "Stop calling me that!"

"You are so a brat!"

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"NO I'M NOT!"

""YES YOU ARE BRAT!"

Their argument continued as they walked down the street, much to the annoyance of the general populace.

* * *

><p>Several minutes later, Koharu, Homura, and Danzo stood outside of the Hokage's office stunned that their leader had tossed several kunai, shuriken, and a chair at them when they demanded to know why there was so much noise emanating from his office earlier.<p>

Needless to say, all three of them agreed to give Sarutobi a wide berth for the remainder of the day...

**AN:**** A bit of comic relief for you: hope you enjoyed it. Also, the change in Naruto's seal will play a large role in the future, but I won't say why. As always, let me know what you guys think! Till next time, Afroman007 signing out!**


	32. Chapter 32

**AN:**** Greetings! Afroman007 back again, with another chapter! As always let me know what you think! And for some of you reading this, I'm sure you're going to be excited by a little something I've added: those of you who I'm referring to will understand when they read it. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 32:**

Sasuke scowled as he watched Naruto walk down the stairs of the classroom towards the Toad Sage, Jiraiya. Sasuke snorted derisively. That man couldn't actuallybe _the _Jiraiya, right? He was a complete dork! Sasuke had heard stories about the Sannin: The traitorous Orochimaru, who had fled the village, the miracle healer, Tsunade, and last but not least: the Toad Sage, Jiraiya. But this guy acted nothing like he was described in the stories! Jiraiya was said to be a top-notch shinobi: super powerful and knowledgeable from all of his travels across the Elemental nations! He even trained the Fourth Hokage!

Sasuke caught Sasame's eye as he turned to watch the Sannin and Naruto zip out the classroom door, closing it with a bang. He shrugged at her questioning expression.

"I have no idea what the dope has done this time..." He sighed as he went back to looking out the window of the classroom. He briefly caught Sasame shooting him a skeptical look before turning her attention on Sakura, who was asking a question about Jiraiya.

He vaguely listened as Iruka went on to comment that as powerful as he was, Jiraiya was very weird. '_That's an understatement..._' Sasuke thought.

He raised his head slightly to get a better view of the Academy entrance from his position at the window, and saw Naruto and Jiraiya walk out, his friend finally getting the man to release his hold on him. Sasuke couldn't hear anything, but he assumed that Naruto was telling Jiraiya off for dragging him out of class by the animated gestures he made. Jiraiya went on to explain something to the boy and he watched as Naruto flinched back in surprise. Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

How he wished he had his sharingan! Then he'd be able to read their lips to know what they were talking about! What could Jiraiya have said to make Naruto, of all people, uneasy?

Sasuke was now standing slightly as he continued to try and watch the exchange between the two of them as they began to move slightly out of his line of sight. His observations however, were cut short when he heard the voice of Iruka call out to him.

"Sasuke!" He commanded. "Sit down and pay attention!"

Sasuke turned to noticed that almost the entire class was looking at him strangely. The exception to this was Iruka, who was glaring at him indignantly, and Sai: who was also glancing out the window. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the pale-skinned boy. _'Why isn't he getting yelled at?' _

Sasuke didn't like Sai at all. Needless to say, Sasuke didn't like a lot of people: but he at least gave everyone the benefit of doubt. Sai however struck him as fishy. The boy just randomly shows up at the Academy the same day as Sasame, and both of them ended up becoming friends with Naruto. Sasuke knew better than to suspect Sasame of anything: the girl came from the Rice Country as a refugee apparently. Sai however: was an enigma. He must be from Konoha, but if so: why hadn't Sasuke seen him around before? Beyond that: why would he enter the Academy now? Late registrations weren't unheard of, but they rarely ever happened. Sai's appearance was a little too suspect to Sasuke. The boy was completely inept when it came to talking to people, and he seemed fake in every way. Also, it didn't help that he had insulted him earlier: Sasuke wasn't going to forget that anytime soon. Sasuke stared at Sai for a few more seconds before sighing and turning his gaze back on Iruka, who was still scowling at him.

He sat down, and grunted out a quick apology, while crossing his arms as he pretended to pay attention to Iruka, who began to teach today's lesson.

The longer that Sasuke got to know Naruto, the less he understood about his friend. On the outside, Naruto was happy, enthusiastic, and optimistic. But Sasuke knew that his friend hid a lot from everyone. He couldn't hold that against the boy: everyone had secrets! But for some reason, he got the feeling that Naruto's secrets were the kind that weren't something insignificant: if the attention the boy constantly got from the higher-ups in the village was any indication. The Hokage, the Snake Mistress: Anko Mitarashi, the ANBU, and now: even Jiraiya of the Sannin all had some kind of business with him! The question on Sasuke's mind was, why?

He knew that Naruto was an orphan. Heck, everyone knew that. The boy didn't belong to a clan, but what was so special about the guy that it garnered so much notice? And that was just the positive attention Naruto got! All of the villagers and even shinobi for some reason, seemed completely distrustful of Naruto. And then, there was the incident during the coup when his clansmen had bound Naruto up and kept calling him a 'demon'. Was that it? Was Naruto some sort of demon?

Sasuke placed a hand on his forehead in irritation. There were so many questions about his best friend, and absolutely no answers! He had tried asking around to gather some information about his friend, but everyone who seemed to know anything was really tight-lipped about it. Sasuke was sure that they all knew something: something about Naruto's status in the village, and why he was treated with so much disdain. He wanted to simply ask his friend, he really did: but he knew that Naruto wouldn't easily volunteer the information.

His thoughts were washed away when he felt a soft tap on his arm. He turned to fix his gaze on Sasame who was watching him with a serious expression on her face.

"What?" He hissed somewhat moodily. He had nothing against Sasame, in fact; he somewhat enjoyed the fact that she wasn't just another fan-girl, but he really didn't want to be bothered right now.

Sasame's eyes narrowed and she whispered:

"You're wondering about Naruto-san too, aren't you?"

Sasuke blinked, and quickly looked at Iruka, who was writing on the board. He wanted to make sure he wasn't going to get reprimanded for not paying attention again.

"What are you talking about?" He replied quickly. Sasame cocked her eyebrows in a skeptical gesture.

"You know _exactly _what I'm talking about, Sasuke-san," she shot back. "You also want to know why Naruto-san always seems to get caught up in strange situations!"

Sasuke continued to look at Sasame for several seconds and then back at Iruka, who was now just turning around from the chalkboard to address the class again.

"Look," he uttered in reply, focusing back on the girl. "Let's talk about this later; okay?"

Sasame held his gaze for a moment, and then nodded once in acceptance.

Sasuke sighed as he listened to Iruka talk about why it was important for ninja to always try and get all of the necessary information before acting.

"A ninja," Iruka explained. "Can't go into a mission blindly. If they were do to so, they could put themselves in a dangerous situation or worse. You need to make sure you gather the intel that's vital to the success of whatever your mission is. To do so otherwise would be foolish!"

Sasuke had a sudden blast of inspiration. He quickly raised his hand, gaining Iruka's immediate attention, along with the rest of the class.

"Question, Sasuke?" Iruka inquired kindly. Sasuke nodded.

"What should you do when the intel that you need is classified, or the person you need to get it from won't tell you what you need to know?"

Iruka was silent for a moment as he contemplated the boy's question before responding:

"In that case: you'd need to figure out a more subtle way to get the information you need. For example: you could try and bribe someone into giving it to you, or perhaps trick someone into giving it up..."

"You could also torture them!" Interjected Kiba with a smirk in Sasuke's direction. Sasuke ignored the Inuzuka boy in favor of continuing to look at Iruka expectantly. Neither of the two methods the man had described so far would work. Maybe on a civilian, but he would never attempt that; way too many chances for things to get out of hand.

Iruka shot Kiba a stern look, making the boy settle down instantly, and then turned back to Sasuke.

"As I was saying," he continued, albeit in a more irritable tone. "You'd need to find a discreet way. You could steal the information, but that's not always the best option. If the information is well-guarded, you could end up getting way over your head..."

Iruka cocked his head to the side bemusedly and regarded Sasuke.

"Why the sudden question, Sasuke?"

Sasuke flinched slightly in his seat. Perhaps asking Iruka about it was a bad idea after all. The man was sharp.

"I-I was just thinking that it's not always easy to get information, sensei," Sasuke explained, eager to guide the man away from his true intentions. "So, I thought it would make sense to ask what we should do in a scenario when we can't get it so easily..."

Iruka continued to look at him quizzically before he smiled and nodded.

"Well, that was an excellent question, Sasuke," he replied approvingly. "And an excellent point: it is very true that intel can be notoriously difficult to obtain!"

Sasuke smirked and leaned back in his seat. ' _That was close! ' _He panicked. ' _Still: I'm no closer to finding out a way to go about this than I was before! '_

He glanced at Sasame who shot him a sympathetic look. Of course the girl obviously knew what his true intentions for asking such a question were. His eyes widened slightly and he quickly turned to her.

"Hey, Sasame," he began in a whisper, getting the girl's attention at once. "I've got an idea. Will you hear me out?"

Sasame nodded and Sasuke continued:

"Why don't we work together to figure this out?"

Her face furrowed for a moment before she replied:

"Couldn't we just ask Naruto-san about it?"

Sasuke shook his head, and glanced once more at Iruka, to make sure he wasn't going to catch them talking.

"Naruto won't just tell us," he explained. "We'll have to ask someone close to him, but make it seem like we're not digging around for information!"

Sasame tapped her chin in thought for a moment before retorting:

"But won't it seem suspicious if we simply ask people who are close to Naruto-san? They're all ninja: they'll know that we're up to something!"

Sasuke blinked. She had a good point. But then who did they know that was close to their friend who could tell them what they wanted to know?

"We could try Anko-chan...?" Sasame suggested quietly. Sasuke raised his eyebrows. 'Chan?' He didn't realize that Sasame and the crazy snake woman were so close.

"We could..." Sasuke replied with a doubtful tone. "But, she's an expert in interrogation: she'd figure us out faster than anyone."

Sasame sighed and drummed her fingers on the desk anxiously.

"Well, I'm still new here," she said glumly. "Anko-chan is the only person I know of that's close to Naruto-san..."

Sasuke sighed as well. They'd have to find another way then.

He thought about all the things that he knew about Naruto. He was an orphan, and he didn't come from a clan. The village seemed to be against him for some reason, although it wasn't clear why. Naruto had somehow managed to get training from Anko Mitarashi, even though he still attended the Academy...

Sasuke's head snapped up. Why _was _Naruto getting training already? He was a first year student in the Academy! Of course, there were people like his older brother that started training much earlier than that, but they were prodigies. Naruto: well...Naruto wasn't one. At least, Sasuke was pretty sure he wasn't.

He refrained from telling these thoughts to Sasame when he caught Iruka's eyes glance over in their direction. Sasuke decided to save the rest of their conversation until lunch.

* * *

><p>When Iruka excuse the class for lunch, Sasuke sent an urgent glance in Sasame's direction, which she lowered her gaze at glumly.<p>

"What?" Sasuke inquired. "I thought you agreed that we'd talk more about this at lunch?"

Sasame nodded and glanced over his shoulder, causing Sasuke to turn to see where her focus was. He was greeted by the sight of Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno making their way towards the two of them.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her.

"Why are they coming over here?" He spat. Sasame shot him a heated glare.

"I forgot to mention that I was going to sit with Ino-chan and Sakura-san today for lunch!" Sasame quipped back, hands on her hips. "So, if you want to talk more about Naruto-san, we'll have to let them in on it!"

Sasuke was hesitant to do what Sasame was suggesting. If Ino decided to tell Naruto that they were snooping around behind his back just to get information on him: well, his friend wouldn't be happy about it. But he needed Sasame's help. Two heads were better than one.

"Fine." Sasuke sighed helplessly. "But if Ino starts hitting on me, I'm gone!"

Sasame rolled her eyes at the raven-haired boy.

"Don't flatter yourself, Sasuke!" Ino scowled as she finally made her way over. "

Sasuke blinked. Did he just hear her correctly? Not only did Ino not add the 'kun' honorific to his name, but had she actually _rebuked _him?!

Ino crossed her arms and huffed as she glare at the Uchiha.

"I'm _not _going to flirt with you anymore!" She announced. "I'm over you: I've found someone else to flirt with!"

Sasuke deadpanned, and silently sent up two prayers to Kami. The first was gratitude that Ino would at long last leave him alone, and the second was a prayer for whoever Ino decided was her next target.

Sasame raised an eyebrow in interest.

"Really?" She inquired curiously. "But, I was sure that you liked Sasuke-san!"

Ino shrugged.

"Love's a fickle thing." She replied simply.

"Ino-chan," came the voice of Sakura who rolled her eyes at the blonde. "We're only seven. Why would you know that?"

Ino punched a fist into her other palm and declared:

"Love has no age restrictions, Sakura-chan!"

The whole group sweat-dropped at the girl, until Sasame regained her bearings enough to add:

"Hey, Ino-chan. Sasuke-san is going to sit with us, if that's alright with you two?"

Ino huffed, but didn't argue against it, while Sakura blushed a little bit and nodded shyly.

Sasame smiled.

"Great! Let's get going then!"

* * *

><p>Sasuke was a mixture of irritated and grateful.<p>

He was grateful that by sitting with Sasame, Ino, and Sakura, he was somehow able to repel all of his fan-girls, who quickly fled from the spot the four of them were sitting at wailing in despair that he had: 'found true love.' However: he was irritated at the fact that the three girls he was currently eating lunch with were talking about what he had dubbed: 'girl crap'.

Currently, Sasame was venting to Ino and Sakura about her life at the orphanage that she lived in, and how she felt like an outsider in Konoha. Sasuke felt for the girl, but he was a guy. He felt like it was way too touchy-feely to talk about emotions so openly. He also knew that if Naruto had heard him say that: he'd call him a hypocrite.

Sasuke's thoughts were interrupted by the curt voice of Ino who sniffed:

"Now, Sasame-chan: why _is _Sasuke sitting with us today?"

Sasuke scowled at Ino indignantly.

"What?" He retorted in offense. "I can sit wherever I want to!"

Ino crossed her arms defiantly.

"Good point," she replied in a dismissive tone. "So why don't you go somewhere else? You obviously are annoyed by our conversation!"

Sasuke's eye twitched in irritation for two reasons. One: he really hated Ino at the moment. And two: He was having an internal debate over whether he would rather take this new Ino who _didn't _like him over the one that did. Both choices thoroughly disturbed him.

"I came over here to talk about Naruto with Sasame!" Sasuke barked, causing Ino and Sakura's eyebrows to rise in confusion.

"Naruto-kun?" Ino replied with a suspicious glance at Sasuke and Sasame. "What about him?"

Sasuke felt a surge of vindictive pleasure when he heard Ino add 'kun' to end of his friend's name. '_Oh, Naruto...' _Thought Sasuke sadistically. '_You're in for quite the surprise when you come back to class!'_

Sasame seemed to notice that Sasuke was preoccupied with some kind of evil thoughts, so she answered Ino's question.

"There seems to be a lot of mystery surrounding Naruto-san," Sasame said quietly. "As his friends, Sasuke-san and I want to find out why!"

Ino nodded approvingly.

"Well, you've come to the right place, Sasame-chan!" Ino chirped happily. "I'm making it my personal business to find out everything there is to know about Naruto-kun!"

Sakura sighed dejectedly as she took a bite out of her onigiri.

"You shouldn't have gotten her started, Sasame-san..." She stated glumly.

Ino cast a warning glance in Sakura's direction, almost making the girl choke on her food in alarm. Ino then grinned and scooted closer to Sasame.

"So, what do you want to know?" She beamed.

Sasame and Sasuke both shared a bewildered glance at one another. Sasuke frowned. Was it really this easy?

"Be honest, Ino," He said critically. "You don't know any secrets about Naruto that I don't already know!"

Ino gasped and placed a hand over her chest in offense.

"You wound me with your words!"

Sasuke continued to look at her unconvincingly until she replied in a glum tone:

"Yeah. As much as I hate to say it, I don't really know much about Naruto-kun...Just the basics..."

Ino glanced at the two of them suspiciously.

"Why the sudden interest about him though?" She asked. "Is it because Master Jiraiya called him out of class earlier?"

Sasuke nodded and replied:

"That and a bunch of other stuff. For example: did you know that Naruto is getting training from a kunoichi named Anko Mitarashi?"

Ino and Sakura's eyes widened.

"Anko-san!?" Ino shouted in disbelief. "I know her! She works with my daddy at the T&I Department! So, that's who Naruto's sensei is!"

Sasuke looked at Sakura who was nodding along with Ino.

"You two already knew he had a sensei?"

Sakura nodded shyly.

"We saw Naruto using the Tree-Walking Technique a few days before Sasame-san showed up in class. When we asked him about how he knew it, he told us his sensei taught it to him..."

Ino's eyes narrowed as she listened Sakura relay the story.

"And now that I think about it," she added as she crossed her arms. "Naruto-kun got really weird when Sakura-chan asked him _why _he had a sensei in the first place!"

Sasuke's eyes widened as he looked at Sakura.

"You know, Sakura," he said with a smirk. "That was good reasoning: I recently came up with the same question myself."

Sakura turned as pink as her hair and chuckled nervously.

"I-it was nothing," she replied, embarrassed by Sasuke's praise. "It just seemed odd that an Academy student would be getting private tutoring from a ninja already. Isn't that why we attend the Academy in the first place?"

Ino nodded at Sakura's question.

"It is," she answered. "So it makes it even more strange as to why Naruto-kun is learning from one already. We're supposed to get our own sensei's when we graduate!"

Sasame decided to throw her own two ryo in.

"So what does this all mean?" She asked the group helplessly. "Why does Naruto-san have a sensei already, and why did that Jiraiya guy pull him out of class?"

No one had an answer. They all sat around quietly until a voice said:

"The answer remains lost to you. Why? Because you are not looking at the whole picture."

Everyone spun around in alarm as Shino Aburame approached them.

Ino glared at the tall boy.

"Jeez, Shino!" She admonished. "Why'd you have to sneak up on us!? Better yet: why are you eavesdropping on our conversation!"

Shino said nothing as he pointed at the tree they were sitting under.

"I have been here the whole time," he informed her. "You simply did not bother to check your surroundings."

Ino simply scowled at the mysterious boy indignantly. Sasuke decided to keep the conversation from straying and asked:

"Okay, whatever," He began, dismissing Ino's glare as he looked at Shino. "Then tell us: what haven't we been looking at?"

Shino was silent for a few moments before he replied.

"Have you ever considered that there might be a perfectly logical reason as to why Naruto-san has a sensei? Perhaps he is in some kind of danger that requires that he be trained in order to defend himself."

Sasuke blinked at the Aburame's response. It would make sense, if that were the case. Sasuke had seen the way his clansmen treated Naruto, and the thing that had bothered him the most during the incident was how little Naruto seemed to be disturbed by it. It was almost as if he was used to such treatment. If so, then it was perfectly plausible that he could have been in a situation like that before! If that was the case: then Naruto could be getting training so he could avoid getting attacked! But then, that raised an even more troubling question.

Sasame seemed to be on the same page as Sasuke, because he was surprised when the girl asked the question he was about to.

"Who would Naruto-san need to defend himself against?"

"I do not know." Shino replied stoically. "Why? Because I too am wondering the same thing."

Ino rolled her eyes at him.

"Arggh!" She yelled in irritation. "This is getting us nowhere! Why would anyone want to hurt Naruto-kun! He hasn't done anything to anyone!"

"That's not quite true, Ino-chan," Sakura informed her. "Naruto is known to be a bit of a troublemaker. He does all sorts of pranks across the village. My mother says that he's bad news."

Ino flashed a dangerous glare at her friend, who seemed to shrink in on herself at the withering look.

"And you believe her!?" Ino retorted. "Your mother doesn't even know Naruto-kun except in passing! The question still remains: Why would they hurt him? A few pranks isn't a reason to try and hurt a kid!"

Sasame nodded in agreement, while Sakura seemed to mull over Ino's words. Sasuke however, was thinking of something else.

His clansmen had called Naruto a 'demon'. And he was also pretty sure he had heard a few villagers mutter the same thing when the two of them would walk around the village.

"I've heard people call Naruto a 'demon'." Sasuke interjected, causing everyone to look at him. "I don't know why that is, but maybe that's the reason why people might hurt him?"

No one said a word for several moments, before Sasame replied:

"But, Naruto-san isn't a demon! He's just a kid; like us!"

Sasuke nodded his agreement, but crossed his arms with a scowl on his face.

"I agree," he continued. "But _why _do they call him that, then?"

"Because they're stupid!" Ino quipped. Sasuke glared at her.

"Some of my clansmen were the ones I heard call Naruto that! I don't agree with them obviously, but watch who you call stupid!"

Ino blanched slightly, but then regained her fire.

"Well, I don't think you should be defending anyone who thinks like that! Clan or not: I wouldn't let them insult one of my friends!"

Sasuke balked slightly, and hung his head. Ino was right! Why was he defending those Uchiha guards? What they did was despicable.

Sasame, in an effort to keep an argument from breaking out, quickly cut in.

"Forget all that guys," she pleaded, and then adopted a more somber expression. "We all know that Naruto-san isn't a demon. What we need to know is: why do people think that he _is_ ?"

Sasuke nodded. That was the question indeed.

* * *

><p>Sai blinked as he watched the group consisting of Sasuke, Sasame, Ino, and Sakura make their way out of the classroom on their way to lunch. The last time he had noticed: the four of them had no reason whatsoever to talk to each other, besides Ino constantly seeking the Uchiha boy's affections. And there was also Ino's blatant denouncement of her infatuation of Sasuke earlier...Sai was certain that just yesterday she would've never said anything like that.<p>

He shook his head of the thought. Those guys didn't matter. What _did _matter was the fact that his mission was once again jeopardized by outside interference! He couldn't fail Lord Danzo. He needed to find out where Naruto was going and follow him.

But that presented another problem. Master Jiraiya. Sai knew that the man was sharp, regardless of how much of a fool he made himself out to be. One didn't survive an encounter with Hanzo the Salamander, and become named one of the Sannin by pure chance. Not to mention Master Jiraiya was responsible for training the late Fourth Hokage himself. Sai knew there would be no way for him to tail Naruto without Jiraiya noticing him. So, what to do? He could try his chances at following, but if he got caught, he would be in a real mess. If he didn't follow however, he was not looking forward to what Lord Danzo's reaction would be.

As Sai made his way out of the Academy building he thought about what he should do now. Part of him really wanted to take his chances and pursue the Toad Sage and his target, but the other part of him, the more logical side, was telling him that it would be a _huge _mistake. Sai decided to go with his logical side. Better safe than sorry.

But that left him with only one option: he would have to admit to Lord Danzo that he had failed to keep an eye on what Naruto was up to! Sai sat down on the cool grass of the Academy lawn with a sigh. When he had taken this mission on, he had assumed that Lord Danzo was having him tail Naruto because he wanted to recruit the boy into Root. Therefore, he had assumed the mission would be easy. He would watch the boy in class, and follow him when he went home from the Academy, and then report to Lord Danzo about what the boy did and how he acted. But Sai soon found however, that he was wrong when it came to Naruto. The boy was constantly in the thick of things it seemed. Not only that, but he was constantly surrounded by experienced shinobi! As good as Sai was, he knew he couldn't possibly get away with tailing Naruto without being spotted by one of them! Not to mention, at the moment, Naruto was with one of the three Sannin!

He slowly rose from his spot in the grass and dusted himself off. He had to do something productive towards his mission. But with the main objective so far out of his reach, what could he possibly do?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard someone call his name.

"Sai." Came a stoic, emotionless voice. Sai turned around and saw a Root shinobi standing off to the side, in the shadows cast by the Academy building. He quickly and silently made his way over toward the shinobi.

Once he got closer, he was surprised to see that the Root shinobi was none other than his mentor: Fu Yamanaka.

Fu was a younger man with auburn colored hair and amber eyes. He was wearing a short black jacket with red straps on the shoulders, as was standard of of most Root attire. He was also wearing a short red kimono under the jacket, tied off by a black sash. His wardrobe was completed by: black gloves, dark-colored pants, and standard shinobi sandals.

"Hello, Fu-sempai." Sai replied with a smile.

Fu frowned at him.

"There's no need for you to pretend to have emotions, Sai," Fu informed him flatly. "I know that you lack them."

Sai's face fell into a completely neutral expression.

"What do you need, sempai?"

"Lord Danzo would requests your presence immediately." Fu replied officially.

Sai felt himself tense. Did Lord Danzo already know of his failure to follow his target?

Fu seemed to sense Sai's slight hesitancy and added:

"A matter has come to his attention which requires that your mission be changed slightly."

Sai nodded.

"I understand, sempai." He replied. "I'll leave at once."

Fu gave Sai a quick nod and vanished in a shunshin.

Sai stared down at the ground in deep contemplation. What did Fu mean by 'slightly'? The words bounced around in Sai's head as he stealthily made his way away from the Academy building, careful not to be seen by any of the teachers or students. When he was at least a block or two away from the Academy, he quickly leapt onto a nearby building and began to travel towards his destination, eager and terrified to find out what Lord Danzo was going to order him to do next.

* * *

><p>Anko Mitarashi frowned deeply as she ate her last stick of dango from her perch on the roof of the Academy. She knew her instincts were right to begin to follow the Sai boy around.<p>

Danzo was spying on Naruto! But unfortunately, spying was far from being illegal in Konoha. They were a ninja village for Kami's sake! But that didn't mean she was okay with it. Naruto wasn't an ordinary citizen that one could spy on. And Danzo was well-aware of that fact. But what to do? She could bring it up to the Hokage: she had meant to the first time she had witnessed the boy following Naruto, but decided against it for the same reason she was hesitant to do so now: she didn't have any evidence that Danzo was doing anything malicious. She _knew _he was, but that didn't change the cold hard fact that the man still hadn't done anything wrong.

"Dammit," Anko hissed as she tossed her stick of dango on the ground, crushing it with her foot. "As if the kid doesn't have enough trouble following him around!"

She gritted her teeth in annoyance. She needed to figure out what Danzo was planning! She couldn't just barge into wherever the mummy holed himself up these days and demand answers: as much as she wanted to. But she also couldn't sit back and wait for the old fossil to make a move!

Anko crossed her arms in thought.

'_Come on, Anko: think! How do I figure out what Danzo's up to!?'_

Her eyes opened wide as an idea struck her. She would have to go to the Hokage and let him know what she was thinking: but if he agreed...

Anko grinned in satisfaction. She leapt from the Academy roof and quickly made her way towards the Hokage tower.

* * *

><p>Anko was only a few buildings away from her destination when she heard a loud voice bellow:<p>

"I DON'T CARE! I'M DONE FOR THE DAY! YOU HEAR ME!? DONEEEEEE!"

She froze in her tracks, almost stumbling over herself in surprise.

"Was that the Old Man!?" She said in bewilderment as she looked at the Hokage Tower.

She heard commotion from the street below and peeked over the ledge to discern the cause. When she found it, she snarled in outrage.

Down on the street, she could clearly make out her student, Naruto and that _idiot. _

'That idiot' being the Toad Sannin, Jiraiya,

Anko had a bone to pick with the old pervert for what he did to her just this morning!

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback: Early Morning<strong>

Anko was smiling as she strolled casually down the streets of the village. She was in an excellent mood after getting to torture a few bandits a team of chuunin had brought in from raiding mission a few days ago. She whistled a tune as she walked, all was right with the world. At least it was until someone squeezed her butt.

She froze. And then smiled as she turned around.

'_Can this day get any better!' S_he thought with glee. '_I actually get to kill someone!'_

* * *

><p>Jiraiya made his way from a meeting with his sensei, thinking deeply about what he had told him concerning Naruto.<p>

His thoughts abruptly ended however, when he witnessed a buxom woman with purple hair tied into a ponytail stroll past him, her hips swaying alluringly.

"Oh Kami, you are too good to me!" He cheered as he quickly followed after the woman.

She was whistling some tune and looked to be in an excellent mood, which had Jiraiya even happier. If he played his cards right, he might be able to ask her to go on a date! If she agreed and after the date, one thing led to another, well: he'd just have to find out!

He quickened his pace as he followed the purple haired beauty, not paying attention to the fact that one of the straps on his geta had snapped. He stumbled slightly when he was no less than a few feet from the woman, and fell forward, reaching out to brace himself for the fall.

He hit the ground, but instead of his right hand finding solid earth, it found something much softer, and yet; a tad bit firm.

His eyes quickly traced along his arm until he saw what he had grabbed, and a trickle of blood began to slid from his nostril.

_'OH, KAMI: YOU REALLY ARE TOO GOOD TO ME!'_

At least, that was what he was thinking until the woman turned around, and he realized _whose _rear he had just grabbed.

* * *

><p>Anko glanced down at the pale face of someone she hadn't expected to see: Jiraiya the Toad Sage, the teammate of her ex-sensei, and one of the legendary Sannin of the Leaf.<p>

Her eyebrow twitched.

"Why hello, Jiraiya!" She said in a quiet hiss as she scowled down at the man, whose hand was still outstretched.

Jiraiya smiled at her from the ground nervously.

"Why as I live and breath! Anko-chan!" He said quickly. "You were Orochimaru's student, right? How are you on this glorious morning?"

Anko wasn't buying it. Jiraiya was as famous for being a notorious pervert as he was for his exploits as a ninja.

"Oh, you know," Anko replied in an overly-sweet tone. "I've been great! Well, at least until you grabbed my butt!"

The two of them shared a hearty laugh, although the underlying panic in Jiraiya's and the underlying outrage in Anko's kind of sapped the humor right out of the situation.

Jiraiya quickly got to his feet, noticing his broken geta as he did so. He breathed out a sigh of relief.

"You see, Anko-chan," He began to explain in a light tone. "There's a perfectly reasonable excuse for why that happened! You see, my geta's strap broke, so I tripped and..."

"I believe you." Anko interjected, causing Jiraiya to look at her in surprise.

"Wow. You do?" he replied.

Anko nodded her head with a happy smile.

"Sure do! In fact, let me see your sandal," she added, stretching out her hand for it. "I'm pretty sure I can fix it!"

Jiraiya beamed at her as he handed over the geta and let out a hearty laugh.

"That's very kind of you, Anko-chan!" He complimented. "Thanks!"

"No problem!" Anko said as she clutched the geta in her hand. Her face took on a sadistic quality as she brandished it threateningly in Jiraiya's face.

"I'll fix it for you," she began sweetly. "AFTER I KILL YOU FOR GROPING MY BUTT, YOU PERVERT!"

Jiraiya tried to run but without his other shoe, he was pathetically off balance. He fell to the ground again in his effort and Anko jumped on top of him, hitting him mercilessly.

Jiraiya's screams were heard throughout the entirety of the village.

* * *

><p>Anko shook slightly as she recalled the incident, but reigned in her anger. She would continue her trashing of the old pervert later. She needed to talk to the Hokage. She changed her mind however, when she remembered that the same man she was going to see had just exploded in anger no less than a few seconds ago.<p>

She sweat-dropped as she glanced at the building.

"I suppose I can just come back tomorrow..." She reasoned.

She nodded and hopped away, thinking about treating herself to another few platters of dango. All of this pervert-beating and spying on spies was making her hungry.

**AN:**** And there you have it, folks! Hope enjoyed the chapter! Look forward to more coming up soon! Afroman007, signing out! **


	33. Chapter 33

**AN:**** Hello Fanfiction readers! A Merry Christmas to those you you who are observing the holiday, and best wishes to those of you who are not! Consider this an early present from me! More ****intrigue develops as Naruto's friends continue to uncover the mysteries that surround their friends, and Sai is given his new mission! As always, review and enjoy the chapter!**

**Chapter 33:**

Naruto yawned loudly as he sat up in his bed the following morning. Rubbing the remainder of sleep from his eyes, he quickly hopped out of bed, landing with a soft thump on the wooden floor of his new bedroom in the Uchiha family's house.

Naruto couldn't be happier with his new situation. Sometimes, he couldn't believe how lucky he was to have gotten something that he'd always wanted: a family of sorts. He'd never say it to Mikoto, but he thought of her almost like a surrogate mother. He thought that the woman might be slightly turned off by the idea of him referring to her as 'Kaa-san' however, so he opted to simply call her Mikoto-oba (Aunt Mikoto) as a sign of endearment and closeness.

Itachi became a sort of role-model and older brother mixture to him. The boy, only thirteen, was now the clan head of the Uchiha, so he didn't have as much time to hang out with Naruto or Sasuke, but when he did he would often give them pointers on projectile throwing or offer advice. Naruto greatly appreciated the older boy's guidance, if for no other reason than feeling acknowledged by someone in a positive way.

Finally, there was Sasuke, who Naruto was beginning to think of more like a brother and less as a best friend. He wasn't sure when the lines between their relationship blurred into something for familial, but he wasn't complaining. In fact, Sasuke didn't seem to mind either. The two continued to poke fun at each other, and consistently get on each other's nerves, but underneath their playful bantering there was a an understanding of one another that only a close bond could form.

Naruto smiled as he glanced around the bedroom that the Uchiha family had happily converted from a guest bedroom into his own. He had taken most of his furnishings from his apartment, although Mikoto had insisted on buying him a new bed. When she realized that Naruto had been sleeping on such a lousy excuse for a mattress and using a tattered blanket, she had nearly thrown a fit at the sub-standard living conditions the boy had survived with. Naruto tried to convince the woman that he didn't mind in the slightest, but she would not drop the matter. They quickly bought Naruto a new bed, and promptly threw out his other one. Naruto had also taken his shoe box that was filled with his 'treasures' although Mikoto had sniffed at the idea. She didn't understand what Naruto wanted to keep a bunch of rusted ninja gear for, but she had conceded when the boy had informed her that it held sentimental value to him.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out in a sigh of satisfaction, Naruto made his way towards the bathroom to freshen up, only to find that the room was already in use. He scowled when he heard off-key singing that could only come from Sasuke. He pounded on the door.

"Sasuke!" He hollered, causing the boy to yelp slightly and cease his rendition of as Konoha battle hymn. "Hurry up! No one wants to hear your terrible singing so early in the morning!"

The was a squeak from within the bathroom, signifying that the Uchiha boy had turned off the shower head. There was then a rustling of what sounded like cloth and the door opened, allowing a large amount of steam to billow out into the hallway where Naruto was standing.

Sasuke emerged with a glare on his face and a towel wrapped around his waist.

"For your information," Sasuke began testily. "I'll have you know that my mother thinks that I have a wonderful singing voice!"

Naruto snorted.

"That's because she's your _mom _stupid," he chided, crossing his arms. "Of course she'd tell you that!"

Sasuke sneered as he shut the door and replied:

"I'll be done soon," He snapped. "Go eat breakfast or something dope!"

Naruto shrugged and padded down the hallway towards the kitchen where he was certain Mikoto would be making breakfast for the family. As he rounded the corner into the kitchen, he smirked when he faintly heard Sasuke begin singing, albeit more softly, again.

* * *

><p>Mikoto wheeled around from her place at the stove when she heard Naruto enter and shot him a warm smile.<p>

"Ah, good morning, Naruto-kun," She chirped happily. "Take a seat at the table! I'm just finishing up breakfast!"

Naruto smiled brightly at her.

"Do you need any help, Mikoto-oba?" He asked eagerly.

Mikoto's face fell slightly.

"Um, no thanks, Naruto-kun..." She replied nervously. "Thanks for asking though!"

Naruto frowned as he made his way to the table and sat down with a huff. He knew why Mikoto was reluctant to let him help her cook. The last time he had attempted to, he had nearly set the kitchen aflame. That's what you could expect when the only thing the boy really knew how to cook was eggs and ramen.

"Ah! Why the long face so early in the morning, Naruto?" Came the voice of Itachi, who had just entered the kitchen. Itachi was donned in dark blue robes that had the Uchiha clan crest on the front breast pocket and a larger version on the back. He smiled at the whiskered boy as he sat down across from him, after greeting his mother.

Naruto crossed his arms.

"Mikoto-oba won't let me help her cook!" He pouted.

Itachi sweat-dropped at the boy's reply. He was present when he had to quickly put out the miniature inferno the boy had created while attempting to cook with a suiton jutsu.

"Well, you _did _almost set the whole kitchen on fire..." Itachi explained flatly, only causing Naruto's scowl to deepen.

"It was an accident!" Naruto argued, throwing his arms in the air in exasperation. "It's not like I did it on purpose!"

Mikoto laughed as she began to place food on the table.

"We know, Naruto-kun," She said consolingly. "but I think it's best if you leave cooking to the professionals!"

Naruto sighed and nodded. The occupants of the kitchen all winced when they clearly heard Sasuke hit a rather ear-piercing note during his song. Itachi shook his head.

"Sasuke will be a great ninja someday," He sighed looking in the direction of the bathroom. "But singing: will never be one of his strong points..."

Everyone around the table laughed as they began to eat, exchanging small talk as they did so.

Itachi told the two of them about his plans for the day. He had to go check up on the police force to see that the new recruits were ready to be assigned beats around the village, and then he had to go meet with the Hokage to decide what to do with the Uchiha who participated in the coup. The Hokage wanted to reinstate them into the shinobi force, for no other reason than to keep the numbers of active ninja consistent, but Itachi argued that they would be letting the rebel-Uchiha off too easily. He was planning to insist that they be taken off of active-duty for a month at least where he could monitor them to make sure any signs of dissent where squashed before allowing them to become Leaf shinobi again.

Mikoto nodded her agreement at the idea, and Naruto, who really had no say in the matter, simply continued to eat.

Several minutes later, a fully-dressed Sasuke strolled into the kitchen and glared at the occupants of the table, who were resisting the urge to laugh at him.

"Not a word about my singing!" Sasuke warned as he took a seat and pulled a plate of food towards himself. "I know I went flat on that high note!"

Naruto chuckled.

"You were flat the whole time..." He muttered under his breath, but the glare sent in his direction by his friend showed that his comment was clearly heard.

Sasuke smirked as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.

"Well, you missed an eventful day at the Academy yesterday Naruto..." Sasuke began mysteriously, causing Naruto to cock an eyebrow curiously.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto quipped. "What happened?"

Sasuke said nothing, but continued to smile deviously as he chugged down the contents of his orange juice. Itachi and Mikoto exchange confused look at Sasuke's cryptic statement.

"What _did _happen at the Academy, Sasuke?" Asked his mother inquiringly.

Sasuke wiped his mouth with a napkin and smiled at her winningly.

"It'll be a surprise for Naruto when he finds out," Sasuke chuckled. "I'd rather not spoil it."

Naruto scowled at Sasuke.

"Just tell me!" He insisted, but Sasuke shook his head.

"You better hurry up and eat," Sasuke said, changing the subject abruptly. "The bathroom's yours, so hurry up and shower. I'm not going to wait for you if you end up making me late to class."

Naruto didn't reply as he shoveled down the rest of his breakfast, thanked Mikoto, and then made his way towards the bathroom to shower.

* * *

><p>While Naruto was in the shower, he scowled as he tried to figure out what Sasuke was getting at,<p>

_'What in the world is the surprise that idiot is talking about!?' _He wondered as he squeezed a glob of shampoo onto his head. _'I don't the smug way he said it either!'_

A deep rumbling voice suddenly spoke up in Naruto's head, causing the boy to get shampoo in his eyes. He let out a cry of indignation as he tried to scrub it out with water.

'**The Uchiha meat-sack is just egging you on, brat." Said** Kurama lazily. **"I wouldn't put too much stock into what he said."**

Naruto had begun to notice that, as of late, Kurama was beginning to talk to him more often. Since he was on somewhat friendly terms with the Bijuu, this didn't bother him so much, but he did wonder if it had something to do with what Jiraiya had pointed out about the additional matrix entwined with his seal.

_"Hey Kurama!' _Naruto shouted mentally at his tenant. _'Can you at least give me a warning before you decide to chime into my thoughts! Shampoo in the eyes hurts, you know!'_

The fox chuckled lowly in reply.

**"If that's the result of what happens every time I talk to you while you're in the shower, I think I'll do it more often!"**

Naruto frowned as he washed his hair.

_'You're a real swell guy, you know that?'_

Kurama didn't reply for a moment before he said:

**"I like to think so."**

Naruto snorted as he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower to dry himself off. As he brushed his teeth, he began to think about what Jiraiya had mentioned about the additional matrix on his seal.

He couldn't help but wonder how the additional seal had gotten there in the first place. If someone had added it, wouldn't he have known? It was mind-boggling and frightening at the same time. Naruto remembered how the Old Man had suspected the shadow of doing the tampering, but Jiraiya had dismissed that by claiming that Naruto's mysterious stalker wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the seal. But why wouldn't they?

Naruto glanced down at his exposed stomach and subtly channeled just enough chakra to make the Shiki Fuin visible. He scowled as he examined its complex line and spiral design.

_'So the Fourth chose me of all people to place Kurama in,' _thought Naruto morosely. _'But why would he do that!? Didn't he know how much it would make my life suck!?'_

He frowned at his reflection in the mirror. Two eyes, a nose, a moth, and a blonde spiky mess for hair. He had two arms, two hands with ten fingers a body, two feet with ten toes, and finally two legs.

He was just as average as anyone else in that aspect. So why did people have to treat him like he wasn't the same as them? He understood the Old Man's point of people fearing what they don't understand, but that brought up a question that Naruto had been asking himself ever since the old Hokage had told him that: If fear and misunderstanding were the main reason for the village's scorn of him, why didn't the Old Man take the time to properly explain how the sealing of the Kyuubi worked?

Naruto rinsed his mouth out and shook his head.

Perhaps it wasn't as simple as that. Even if the Old Man _had _bothered to explain to the populace about how he was not the fox, but a perfectly normal boy, would they believe him? Naruto wanted to say they would: he was the Hokage after all! But a part of him completely disagreed with that. Even if you _ could_ explain something as complicated as the difference between a Jinchuuriki and their tenant, people would still be wary of said person. If Naruto wanted to be looked at as something other than the reincarnation of Kurama, he would have to prove it, not try and convince people through explanation! He smiled widely as he looked at his reflection one last time before leaving the bathroom.

_'I've always been better with taking action than I have with words anyways!' _

* * *

><p>When Naruto and Sasuke arrived in the classroom at the Academy, Naruto was nearly bowled over by Sasame who demanded to know what Jiraiya wanted with him. Naruto looked to Sasuke to help him make up an excuse, but the raven-haired Uchiha's expression was expectant; as if he too were waiting for Naruto to tell him exactly what had transpired between him and the Toad Sage.<p>

He sighed. He couldn't tell them the real reason why he had met with Jiraiya, but he could tell them something that would hopefully get them off of his back.

"Jiraiya wanted to talk to me about the Uchiha coup, that's all!" Naruto explained. Sasame and Sasuke exchanged glances before fixing their gaze on him again.

"Why didn't he ask to talk to me then?" Sasuke said suspiciously, as he crossed his arms. "I was there too; not to mention it's _my _family..."

Naruto knew he had to think fast in order to throw Sasuke's suspicions of his cover story off.

"He wanted to hear it from someone who wasn't an Uchiha," Naruto covered. "When we were outside I mentioned that to him, and he said that since I was the only kid at the Academy who was present, he wanted to hear my side of the story..."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed for a moment, before he shrugged.

"That makes sense, I guess," He began. He looked at Naruto again with yet another suspicious stare. "I noticed that you flinched yesterday when he told you something outside. What was that about?"

Naruto blinked. He had no idea that Sasuke was watching his exchange with Jiraiya! He wasn't sure whether to feel offended or impressed that the boy was investigating him so thoroughly.

"He..." Naruto began slowly. "He mentioned that he knew about me getting dragged by your clansmen. I was a little bit surprised that he knew about that, is all..."

Sasuke's face held a quick look of sympathy before he nodded. Naruto looked at Sasame who still had a doubtful expression on her face, but before she could ask him whatever she was planning to, a loud voice reverberated through the classroom, making all three of them wheel around in surprise and alarm.

"NARUTO-KUN! HOW I'VE MISSED YOU!"

Naruto froze as he was abruptly swept up in a bone-crushing hug from none other than Ino Yamanaka, much to his surprise and outright bewilderment. He glanced at Sasuke, only to find that the boy was trying desperately to keep from bursting out in laughter. Naruto narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha.

_'So this is the surprise you were talking about, eh Sasuke?!'_

Naruto turned his attention back on the girl that was glomped onto his body, and pried her off of him with considerable effort.

"Ino! What the hell!?" Naruto bellowed, causing the girl to widen her eyes in surprise.

She shot him a pouting look and placed a finger at her lips.

"Naruto-kun," she whined. "Aren't you happy to see me? I was worried about you!"

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. What in the world was going on!? He was positive that only yesterday, Ino was all about Sasuke! Now all of a sudden she decided to exclusively flirt with him!?

"Ino..." Naruto began in an exasperated tone. "I know that you've flirted with me before, but why in the world are you acting like this now!?"

Ino crossed her arms and huffed.

"Love is a fickle thing, Naruto-kun!" She replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe. "I just realized that my heart can only belong to you!"

Naruto paled as he slowly took a step away from Ino. Did he now have...a fan-girl!?

"Whatever you say, Ino," Naruto stammered. "I'm going to sit down...so...bye!"

Naruto sprinted up the stairs to his seat and quickly began to look out the window, avoiding eye contact with anyone else in the room.

Ino sighed as she watched Naruto run away from her, and then grinned.

"He's playing hard to get!" She stated, a small fire smoldering in her light blue eyes. "You won't shake me off that easily!"

Sasuke sweat-dropped as he listened to Ino's proclamation. Suddenly, he was feeling extremely guilty for not warning Naruto that Ino was going to do this to him.

Meanwhile in his seat, Naruto was frantically biting at his fingernails.

"What am I gonna do!?" He whispered to himself in a panicked voice. "I've got to keep her away from me! Fan-girls are evil!"

* * *

><p>Class finished several hours later, and Naruto was unable to keep Ino away from him, regardless of how much he tried. The girl was relentless in her desire to be close to him, much to Naruto's chagrin. It didn't help that Sasuke found the whole situation amusing, that is until his own fan-girls swarmed him during lunch.<p>

Naruto and Sasuke left the Academy and began walking across the village to meet Anko for their afternoon training. Naruto knew that he'd have to start running his laps as soon as they got to the training ground, so he was content to take their walk at a leisurely pace. Sasuke agreed wholeheartedly.

"Hey Sasuke," began Naruto as the passed the art supply store that Sai was staring at yesterday. "I didn't see Sai at all today; is he sick or something?"

Sasuke shrugged indifferently.

"I don't know," he replied flatly. "Honestly, if the kid never shows up again, I'll be ecstatic."

Naruto furrowed his brow at Sasuke's remark.

"Hey, Sai's an okay guy!" He shot back. "He's...He's just a little odd, is all! Nothing wrong with that!"

Sasuke snorted.

"That's the understatement of the century." He muttered, although Naruto could hear him clearly. Sasuke looked at Naruto seriously. "Are you seriously telling me you don't find the guy's sudden appearance in our class slightly suspect?"

Naruto placed his hands behind his head as the two of them continued walking and squinted his eyes.

"No." He replied in an casual tone. "Should I?"

Sasuke sighed as he shook his head.

"Naruto," Sasuke began solemnly. "The guy just randomly shows up, and starts attending class with us, and you don't think that's weird? Sasame makes sense: she was a refugee before she came to Konoha, I get that! But Sai is obviously from Konoha! Why didn't he start the Academy the same time we did, at the beginning of term!?"

Naruto opened one of his squinted eyes to peer at Sasuke, and then shrugged.

"Maybe his family didn't think he should enter at the same time as everyone else? Maybe they thought he wasn't ready!"

Sasuke growled in exasperation.

"Naruto! I don't think Sai _has _any family! Doesn't that strike you as odd!?"

Naruto stopped walking and scowled at Sasuke slightly.

"Not having a family doesn't exactly make someone odd, Sasuke." Naruto remarked in a low tone. Sasuke's eyes widened when he realized how his statement must've sounded to Naruto and quickly amended it.

"That's not what I meant!" Sasuke continued. "We don't even know where Sai goes after class, nor do we have any idea where he lives! Sasame lives in the orphanage, and she says that Sai doesn't. If he's an orphan, shouldn't he live there too?"

Naruto stopped walking completely and glared at Sasuke.

"I'm an orphan and until just a few days ago I lived on my own!" Naruto reasoned angrily. "Maybe Sai lives the same way I used to! You just don't like Sai, so you're trying to make it out like he's trouble or something!"

Sasuke blinked. He hadn't meant to offend his friend so badly. He felt like an idiot. Of course the subject of family was a touchy one for Naruto.

"Look, Naruto: I'm sorry," apologized Sasuke softly. "It's just...Sai strikes me as having some kind of ulterior motives...I can't put my finger on it, but I can just tell there's something off about him, Does that make sense?"

Naruto's face softened at Sasuke's apology and the two of them continued walking.

He wasn't sure what to make of Sasuke's argument against Sai. At first, he simply assumed that Sasuke was just against Sai because of the fact that the two of them didn't really get along. But now that he really listened to what Sasuke was telling him, he began to wonder about all the things he actually _knew _about the pale-skinned boy. Where did Sai live? Was he actually an orphan? Why did he act so strange? The thoughts appeared in Naruto's head so rapidly, he had to shake his head to get rid of them.

"I don't know Sasuke," Naruto said at last, causing the Uchiha to look at him. "All I know is that Sai is my friend...And you have to trust your friends, right?"

Sasuke said nothing in reply for a while before he smirked.

"Yeah," He said softly. "I suppose you're right."

* * *

><p>Sasame wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or irritated at Naruto as she made her way back to the orphanage after class. She felt relieved that Naruto wasn't in any trouble yesterday; Jiraiya had just wanted to ask Naruto about his take on the Uchiha's failed coup. There wasn't anything wrong with that, right?<p>

She stopped walking when a sudden realization hit her.

Why did it take them so long to have a discussion that should've only taken ten minutes or so, tops! She turned around in the direction of the Academy and scowled. Naruto had lied to them! Then she felt her face fall into a frown. They were his friends, weren't they? Why would he feel the need to do that?

She was also feeling slightly peeved for another reason entirely concerning her blonde-haired whiskered friend. She wasn't sure why, but she felt a very irritable sensation when Ino was hanging all over Naruto today. Normally, Sasame and Naruto would eat lunch together since Sai preferred to eat alone for the most part, and Sasuke was always too busy trying to shake off his fan-girls during lunch to sit with them. She supposed that Ino's interference annoyed her because ever since her first day at the Academy, Naruto had become a sort of constant in her life. He was always around for her to talk to and joke with, and enjoy his company. The two times when Naruto was absent from the Academy (the day of the coup and just yesterday) Sasame really had to break out of her comfort zone to talk to new people. She didn't mind meeting new people, but she had made the mistake of sitting with Ami on her first day, and was wary of the other students, thinking that they might be similar.

So, when Ino had approached her and offered to let her sit with her and Sakura yesterday during lunch, she wasn't quite sure about accepting. Realizing however that she really didn't have anyone else to talk to during lunch, she reluctantly agreed. It turned out that she rather enjoyed the two girls and they did become fast friends.

But for some reason, Sasame couldn't quell a rising feeling of dislike for Ino at the moment, and she knew it had something to do with Naruto. She gasped in the middle of the street when realization hit her, causing many shinobi and villagers who were passing by to look at her oddly. Sasame ignored them, shocked at what she had just come to realization about.

She was jealous of Ino, because...

...She _liked _Naruto?!

She shook her head and blushed slightly.

She was only seven! In fact, so was Ino, for that matter: but the girl seemed so confident about her feelings regarding Naruto. But Sasame on the other hand: she wasn't sure what to make of this sudden revelation. Naruto didn't seem to like the attention Ino gave him, which made her happy somewhat...

She shook her head again. That was mean to Ino. But, was it wrong that she wished Naruto would act differently if she was to flirt with him?

Once more, she shook her head. Sasame was sure the villagers and shinobi alike must have thought she was trying to do an impersonation of a bobble-head. Naruto and her were just friends! In fact, she had only known the boy for a week or two tops! That wasn't enough time to know if you liked someone, right?

She continued on her way, continuing to have an inner-debate about her mixed up feelings all the way back home.

* * *

><p>When she finally arrived at the orphanage, she entered, took off her shoes and placed them in the entry way. As she walked past the main greeting area on her way to her room, the matron of the orphanage, Suzuka, called out to her.<p>

"Ah, welcome back, Sasame-chan!" She greeted kindly as she stood up from dusting a lamp and walked over. "How was the Academy today?"

Sasame smiled in return. She liked the matron.

Suzuka was a middle-aged woman, with light blue hair, and warm brown eyes. She was a little larger than average, and her hair was beginning to show signs of graying, no doubt caused by the stress of caring for so many needy children.

"It was...fine, Suzuka-san." Said Sasame with a hint of irritation in her voice as her smile faded.

Suzuka's eyebrows rose.

"Come sit down dear," She offered, walking over to one of the many sofas that were scattered around the greeting area. She sat down and patted the seat next her. Sasame was reluctant to talk, but humored the woman by obeying.

When Sasame was seated, Suzuka turned to her with a warm smile.

"Now," she said amicably. "What's on your mind, dear? I can tell that something's bothering you..."

Sasame sighed. She hadn't sat down and talked to an adult about what she was feeling since her father had died. The memory of her father sent a jolt of sorrow through her, which she quickly forced down. Could she really tell Suzuka about her concerns about Naruto?

"Well..." began Sasame nervously. "You see Suzuka-san, there's this boy at the Academy..."

Suzuka's eyes glinted with a mixture of understanding and something else that Sasame couldn't quite discern.

"Go on." Suzuka prompted her with a smile.

"Well, this boy," Sasame continued with a small sigh. "He's really nice and funny, and very sweet; but he's really mysterious at the same time."

Suzuka nodded sagely and then replied:

"Does this boy _mean _to come off as mysterious?"

Sasame blinked at the question. She had never really considered that. Did Naruto mean to keep his friends in the dark about him on purpose? If so, why?

"I don't think so." Sasame answered uncertainly. "But he deflects all of my questions about him with excuses or lies."

Suzuka frowned and tapped her chin in thought for a moment.

"Could it be that perhaps this boy doesn't want you to think less of him because of whatever he's hiding?"

Sasame blinked again. Could that be it? Maybe Naruto was embarrassed?

"Maybe..." Sasame replied. "But why doesn't he just tell me! I'm his friend! I-I wouldn't judge him!"

Suzuka smiled and patted Sasame on the shoulder.

"I know you wouldn't dear," she said consolingly. "But maybe he doesn't know that; you should let him know! Perhaps he'll tell you!"

Sasame nodded slowly in understanding. Perhaps that was what she needed to do ! If she just told Naruto that their relationship as friends wouldn't change regardless of what she told him, maybe he would finally open up to her!

She smiled as she looked up at Suzuka.

"Thanks, Suzuka-san!" She beamed. "I feel a lot better now!"

Suzuka grinned as she got up from the sofa and began to walk away. Before she walked out of the room she turned and asked:

"Just out of curiosity," she began with a sly smile. "What's the name of this friend of yours? I feel like I should at least ask!"

Sasame smiled and nodded.

"His name is Naruto," she answered happily. "Naruto Uzumaki."

Suzuka's smile abruptly slid off of her face and was replaced by a scowl of intense dislike. Sasame flinched slightly at the cold look on the matron's face.

"Sasame-chan," Suzuka warned darkly. "I'd stay away from him if I were you. Demons don't need to be understood! They need to be avoided at all costs!"

And with that said, Suzuka left the room leaving a shocked Sasame in her wake.

* * *

><p>Danzo stared down at Sai as the boy knelt before his feet in the underground complex of Root headquarters.<p>

"You understand what I need you to do now, correct?"

Sai bowed his head deeply.

"I do, Lord Danzo." He replied flatly.

Danzo nodded and dismissed the boy, who vanished.

He smiled coldly as he began to make his way back to his private chambers.

_'Soon, Uzumaki will come to me willingly,' _Danzo thought darkly. _'At least: he'll have to...'_

* * *

><p>Sai paced the streets of the village with a blank expression on his face as he thought about his new mission concerning Naruto.<p>

He stopped at a bench as he wandered through a small park and sat down heavily and sighed deeply.

"What am I going to do?" He whispered hopelessly. "I don't know if I can go through with this, but Lord Danzo's not giving me a choice..."

His face hardened back into an expression of determination.

"Naruto and the others are not my friends," Sai whispered aloud to himself as he promptly stood up. "They are only tools to use to complete my mission..."

He began to walk again, his mind on what he had to do now.

_'And the mission must always come first!'_

**AN:**** And there it is folks! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! As I said before: Merry Christmas! Afroman007 signing out! **


	34. Chapter 34

**AN:**** Afroman007 here, with a new chapter for you! I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas celebrations as much as I did! However, now that the festivities and family gatherings are over fore the most part; it's back to business as usual! I'll try to keep my updates as frequent as possible, because I know what it's like to want to read the next chapter of a story only to be left waiting forever! Anywho, enjoy the chapter, and as always: read and review please!**

**Chapter 34:**

Sasame sat in silence after Suzuka abruptly walked from the room. Her mind spun as the woman's latest statement replayed over and over in her head.

_'Why did Suzuka-san call Naruto-san a demon? It's just like what Sasuke-san said yesterday at lunch about his clansmen!' _

She glanced down at her hands in her lap and frowned deeply. She had no idea what to make of this new information! She had always thought very highly of Suzuka, but her blatant hatred of Naruto was just baffling to her. Suzuka was very warm and kind towards all children; why was Naruto the exception to the rule?

She sighed as she stood up from the sofa and gathered up her school bag.

"I suppose I'll have to just take Suzuka-san's advice and talk to Naruto-san about this tomorrow..."

She was going to use the matron's advice at least, regardless of the woman's opinion of Naruto. If she could just show Naruto that she wasn't going to judge him for whatever secret he was hiding, perhaps she could finally close the gap between them, and pave the way for them to become closer friends, or something more someday...

Sasame blushed brightly as she walked towards her room at the end of the hall, making the other orphans look at her strangely as she passed.

'_Get a grip, Sasame!' _she chided herself. _'Naruto is JUST your friend! Nothing more!'_

At least, that was what she was going to keep telling herself.

She flung herself onto her bed and buried her face in her soft pillow. She knew she should probably attempt to begin her homework that Iruka had assigned the class today, but she wasn't in the mood. She simply had too much pressing on her mind at the moment to really focus; so she was content to simply lie on her bed and try to sort through the jumbled mess called her thoughts.

Her mind wandered to her friends, and the fact that: as much as it bothered Sasame, she had to admit that she really knew next to nothing about any of them. Naruto was simply an enigma the more she learned about him, while Sai...

Sasame's head popped off her pillow for a moment as she thought about the boy. In her fervor trying to figure out Naruto's secret, she had completely forgotten about him!

She wondered where Sai-san was today during school. She hoped he too wouldn't start making a habit of missing class for mysterious reasons. In fact, now that she thought about it, the pale-skinned boy didn't talk to her during class when she arrived yesterday morning. He had given her one of his smiles and a nod of greeting, but the two of them had not exchanged words at all. That wasn't so strange, usually Naruto was the one that bridged conversation between the three friends, (the blonde-haired boy was a chatterbox, that's for sure!) Sai wasn't really one for conversation however, he was more of a listener; but so was Sasame. Therefore, the two had trouble really carrying on a conversation without Naruto present, and considering that the whiskered blonde boy had been notoriously absent the past few days from the duration of class and lunch, Sasame really hadn't reached out to Sai like she would if Naruto was present. The thought saddened her. What kind of friend was she? She wondered if Sai must feel resentful towards her for going off with Ino, Sakura, and Sasuke yesterday without at least having the decency to offer him an invitation! She slammed her head back down on her pillow and let out a groan.

* * *

><p>Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a soft tapping on her bedroom window, making her raise her head from the softness of her pillow in alarm at the sudden sound.<p>

Her eyes widened when she realized that it was Sai!

The boy tapped on the window again with a smile fixed on his face. Sasame sprang from her bed to open the window quietly, and the boy silently hopped into the room.

"Sai!" Sasame gasped in surprise. "What are you doing here!? Where were you in class today?!"

Sai didn't answer Sasame's question. Instead, he posed one of his own.

"I need to talk to you," He said simply. "Can we go for a walk?"

Sasame blinked in confusion. What could Sai possibly want to talk about?

Curiosity getting the better of her, Sasame nodded slowly and followed the boy out the window and into the afternoon sun, where they began walking through the small patch of woods that spread out behind the orphanage.

* * *

><p>Halfway through the woods Sasame could make out the distinct sound of water moving, and surmised that they must be close to the Naka River, which meandered it's way through the forest and into the village proper. She had never really wandered through the forest before, simply because she had not really found a reason to. She found the place to be very serene and calming, and decided that from now on she would try and take more walks through it.<p>

The two of them began to cross a small wooden bridge that traversed the small river and led to the other side of the forest. When they arrived at the other side of the bridge, Sai stopped and abruptly turned on her.

"I know that you and the others have been looking for information about Naruto-san, and I think I know someone who can tell you what you want to know, Sasame-san." Sai said, piquing Sasame's interest at once.

"Really, Sai-san? Who?" inquired Sasame.

Sai was quiet for a few moments before he replied.

"His name is Lord Danzo," He replied quietly. "He's...an elder of the village, and one of the Hokage's advisors. I can take you to see him if you'd like."

Sasame felt her eyes narrow in suspicion. She had never heard of this 'Lord Danzo' before, but by the way Sai spoke of him, the boy must hold the man in high regard.

"Where is he?" Sasame asked quietly.

Sai was quiet again before he answered her question with one of his own:

"Would you like to meet him?" He asked.

Sasame considered the boy's offer. She trusted Sai, so she was sure the pale-skinned boy wasn't going to take her to meet with someone who was dangerous. After several moments she slowly nodded and Sai smiled.

"Meet me tomorrow evening at this bridge, and I will take you to him. Lord Danzo will be most pleased to meet you, Sasame-san."

Sasame nodded. If this Lord Danzo had answers about Naruto-san...She had to find out! If she could just understand why the boy was hesitant to share his secrets with his friends, she might be able to help him once she knew! It was least she could do for the first person to reach out to her when she came her alone and friendless.

Sai smiled and then vanished in a shunshin, greatly surprising Sasame, who staggered a step back. She had no idea that Sai could do such a high level technique!

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously on the spot where the pale-skinned boy had been standing only seconds ago.

"Perhaps this 'Lord Danzo' can also tell me more about Sai-san as well," Sasame muttered darkly, and then sighed dejectedly.

"I just wish my friends would let me know the truth about them," she whispered, as she began to trek back towards the orphanage.

"Aren't friends supposed to trust each other?"

* * *

><p>Naruto slid open the door of the Academy classroom with a bang, causing several students to groan in agitation at his loud entrance. The blonde-haired boy didn't care though. He wasn't skilled enough yet to barrel through a window like Anko just yet; so making loud entrances in other ways would have to suffice. Plus: the boy was almost one-hundred percent certain Iruka would have him doing lines well into his ninja career if he ever broke a window for such an asinine reason.<p>

Sasuke, who was following behind our favorite blonde, groaned audibly when he watched his best friend slam open the door.

"Can you not do that!?" He snapped in a hiss. "I'm still really tired from training yesterday: you're not helping!"

Naruto stuck his tongue out at the raven-haired Uchiha as they made their way into the classroom.

"Then maybe you should've gone to bed when I did last night!" Naruto retorted with a snort. "instead of staying up late with Itachi-nii and trying to get down the kunai maneuver that Anko-sensei tried to teach you!"

Sasuke glared at Naruto as he crossed his arms indignantly.

"For your information, dope," Sasuke replied in a huff. "I've almost got it down now! That's more than you can say!"

Naruto shrugged as he made his way up the classroom stairs towards their seats.

"Whatever you say, Sasuke," Naruto intoned. "Just so you know: I already know about half of those drills by heart already; there isn't really a need for me to go over the basics!"

Sasuke huffed again as he pushed past Naruto to get to his seat, causing the whiskered boy to smirk in triumph.

Ever since Sasuke had begun training with him and Anko, the Snake Mistress had been hell-bent on teaching the Uchiha boy ninja tool maneuvers when she discovered how much of an innate talent the boy had for them. This meant that while Sasuke was getting better at throwing projectiles, the boy wasn't really training in other areas: something that Naruto had been doing for well over a year now. The fact caused the Uchiha no small amount of bitterness, and Naruto couldn't help but tease Sasuke whenever he brought the subject up: which was at least four times a day.

Naruto grinned at Sasuke when they sat down, and the boy returned Naruto's smile with a glare, as he turned to look moodily out the window.

_'What a baby!' _Naruto laughed. _'I'd tell hi, that he's much farther than I was when I started, but I don't want to inflate his ego!'_

Kurama stirred upon hearing Naruto's thoughts and added:

**"The Uchiha meat-sack has a point though," **he chided, causing Naruto to scowl.** "He **_**is **_**better at throwing weapons than you are!"**

Naruto gave his tenant the equivalent of a mental shrug.

'_So what?' _Naruto quipped in reply. _'I already know that stuff: like I said: there's no need for me to keep drilling it!'_

Kurama chuckled, causing a strange rumble to emanate through Naruto's skull.

**"Whatever you say,brat..." **he answered indifferently. **"Now stop talking to me! That orange-haired vixen is trying to get your attention!"**

Naruto blinked and turned to see that Sasame had arrived, and was giving him a strange look.

"Naruto-san," she asked carefully. "Are you alright? You looked like you were spacing out for a moment there..."

Naruto beamed as Sasame took her seat next to him.

"I'm fine Sasame-chan!" He reassured her. "I was just thinking about my training is all!"

Sasame smiled softly as she nodded.

"And how's that going?" She asked curiously. "Is Anko-chan teaching you a lot?"

Naruto nodded and then narrowed his eyes at Sasame, who filched back from his accusatory stare somewhat.

"What?" She asked defensively. "Is there something on my face?"

Naruto shook his head, but kept his suspicious gaze locked on her.

"No, it's not that," Naruto replied. "It's just that you keep calling Anko-sensei, Anko-chan. I didn't know you two knew each other..."

Sasame sighed in relief. For a moment, she thought that Naruto might be on to the fact that she and the others were prying into Naruto's business without him knowing.

"Anko-chan is the person who escorted me around the village after I got released from the hospital when I arrived here," Sasame explained, causing Naruto's eyes to widen in realization. "She insisted that I call her that: she said that Anko-san made her feel old..."

Naruto let out a bark of laughter at Sasame's latter statement.

"That sounds like sensei!" He grinned. "Well, that's cool: I didn't know that you two already knew each other!"

Sasame smiled in return, at least until a blonde blur attached itself to Naruto's arm, causing her to tumble out of her seat onto the floor.

"NARUTO-KUN! GOOD MORNING!" Greeted Ino, who snuggled into Naruto, who was doing his utmost to push the Yamanaka girl off of him, but to no avail. "HOW ARE YOU!?"

Naruto scowled as he finally succeeded in freeing his arm of the girl's vice-grip.

"I was doing great until you jumped on me, Ino," Naruto grumbled. "Look what you did! You knocked Sasame-chan down!"

Ino blinked as she turned to look at the floor, only to meet her gaze with Sasame, who was slowly getting to her feet, a scowl on her face.

"Oh! Sorry about that, Sasame-chan! Are you okay?" Asked Ino sincerely.

Sasame sighed as Ino moved from her seat to let Sasame sit back down again.

"I'm fine, Ino-chan," She replied with a hint of irritation in her voice. "How are you?"

Ino smiled brilliantly and then leaned in to whisper to Sasame.

"I'm good," she breathed. "I think I've got some new info on Naruto-kun! I can't wait to tell you what I've found out!"

Sasame's eyes widened, and any irritation she had felt at the girl vanished instantly.

"Really?" She whispered back. "I can't wait!"

Ino nodded and made to glomp onto Naruto's arm again, but the boy dodged her gracefully this time, sending her sprawling into the desk with a clatter.

"Naruto-kun..." She whined. "That's mean! I just want to be close to you!"

Naruto shivered.

"Then be close to me, by _not _grabbing onto me every chance you get, Ino!"

Ino got to her feet and huffed in protest, crossing her arms.

"You know you like it!" She retorted.

Naruto groaned and placed his head on the desk in exasperation.

_'I just can't win with this crazy girl!'_

* * *

><p>Iruka entered the classroom several minutes later, using his Giant Head Technique to silence the class. Once order was restored to a satisfactory level in his opinion, he cleared his throat and began to tell the class his pre-lecture announcements.<p>

"I'm sad to say that one of our students is no longer going to be attending class with us," Iruka began solemnly, getting the attention of the classroom as a whole at once. "Sai had dropped out, citing personal reasons..."

WHAT!?" Came a timid voice from a few seats behind Naruto, who wheeled around to hear who had shouted, only to see Akiko, a civilian girl who had a thing for the pale-skinned boy, with a look of horror etched on her face. "WHY IS SAI-KUN DROPPING OUT!?"

Iruka sweat-dropped at the girl and shook his head tiredly.

"If you would've listened to the whole explanation Akiko," Iruka admonished. "You would've heard me when I said he left for 'personal reasons.'

Akiko flushed pink with embarrassment and quickly hid her pink face behind her textbook, causing many in the class to laugh at her.

Iruka shouted for quiet again. Once it was granted, he continued with his announcements.

"Since we are coming up to mid-term, we'll be having a test to see how much information you all have retained so far," he announced to much complaining and groaning from the class. "This is very important for your grades!" Iruka continued in a louder voice, instantly quelling the protests of his students. "So make sure you give it all of your effort, and study hard! Now, on to today's lesson..."

Naruto tuned out Iruka after his announcement in favor of thinking about why his friend had decided to suddenly leave the Academy. It didn't make any sense in Naruto's book. Sai was a good student, and he had friends: why would he want to leave? And for 'personal reasons'. Did that mean that perhaps something bad was going on in Sai's personal life? Naruto decided to seek the boy out when he got a chance after class today and confront him about his decision, at least to see if he couldn't convince the boy to come back to class. He didn't want to lose one of his only friends!

Naruto gauged the reactions of the other students in the class, and frowned at what he observed. Almost none of the students seemed to care either way that Sai had dropped out, with the exception of Akiko, who was sobbing quietly from behind her textbook. He noticed Sasame give the girl a sympathetic look. Sasame seemed sad as well, although she hid it much better than Akiko. Sasuke continued to brood as usual, and since he was looking out the window like always, Naruto couldn't gauge his friend's expression. He scowled. He figured the raven-haired Uchiha was probably pleased that Sai had left: the two of them never got on very well in the first place. Ino seemed to be in a contemplative state as Naruto turned his gaze to watch her. No doubt the girl was probably thinking of the gossip she could command over Sai's absence. Sakura seemed slightly upset, but it was hard to tell: the girl was so timid and quiet most of the time, Naruto didn't know if she was simply reflecting Ino's somber mood, or if she was actually genuinely sad about Sai's absence.

Naruto sighed as he listened to Iruka teach them about how the village was organized. He really wanted class to end so he could seek out Sai and ask him why he had left them so abruptly. It wasn't so much that Sai didn't want to attend the Academy anymore, Naruto realized, but the fact that Sai hadn't even said goodbye to any of his friends! Naruto felt slighted somewhat. Was their bond that unimportant to him?

He shook his head, dispelling the bitter thought. He didn't have Sai's side of the story yet. For all Naruto knew, something really bad might have come up in Sai's life that forced him to make a snap decision, leaving no time for him to explain himself to his friends.

He sighed again as he laid his head on the desk and continued to listen as Iruka went on to explain the administrative division of the village's government. He would simply have to wait and see. Sai was his friend, after all. The boy would surely tell him if something was wrong! Naruto would also do everything in his power to help Sai if he could. That was what friends did, right?

* * *

><p>For Naruto, lunch began as a lonely affair.<p>

When Iruka finally dismissed them, Naruto had turned to Sasame to ask her if she wanted to eat in their usual spot, only to see the girl getting dragged by Ino towards the door.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted indignantly. "Where are you guys going!?"

Ino stopped pulling on Sasame's hand, at which the orange-haired girl breathed a sigh of relief, and looked at Naruto with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Naruto-kun," Ino said sadly. "Sakura-chan and I need to talk to Sasame alone! It's...It's about girl stuff! You wouldn't want to listen!"

Naruto blinked. He didn't want to listen to the three of them talk about whatever it was girls discussed normally, but he decided that it was probably better he do that than sit alone.

He smiled widely.

"I don't mind if you guys talk about that!" He assured Ino, who frowned slightly. "Just wait up: I'm coming!"

Sakura paled slightly and waved her arms in a dismissive gesture, causing Naruto to stop in his tracks on the stairs.

"It's not that we don't want your company, Naruto," Sakura explained frantically. "It's just that...Ino-chan and I have some secret stuff to tell Sasame-chan! And you're a boy...so you can't hear it!"

Ino shot Sakura a small smile of approval at her quick thinking.

Naruto's brow furrowed.

"Fine then," He spat dejectedly. "I guess I'll see you three after lunch?"

Ino beamed at him.

"You know it, Naruto-kun!" She intoned happily. "Thanks for being so understanding! That's why I like you so much!"

Naruto rolled his eyes at the girl as they quickly fled the classroom. He turned to address Sasuke, only to find that his friend was absent as well. He glanced down the stairs and watched as Sasuke ran from his horde of fan-girls out the door, cursing madly as he did so.

Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his spiky hair, and began to slowly walk down the stairs, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Guess I'm sitting alone then..." He muttered.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, Naruto," Came the voice of Shikamaru, who was standing by the door, Chouji beside him.

Naruto smiled widely.

"Can I eat with you two?" He asked eagerly.

Shikamaru sighed and smacked a hand to his forehead.

"That's what I meant, you idiot," He droned in annoyance. "It's troublesome, but I'd rather not watch you pout for the rest of the day complaining that you had to eat alone, right Chouji?"

Chouji swallowed the chips he was munching on and shot Naruto a kind smile.

"Right! Let's go eat! I'm starving!"

Naruto laughed.

"You're _always _starving, Chouji!"

And together, the three of them made their way out of the classroom.

* * *

><p>Sasame ate her onigiri quietly as Ino sat beside her, cross-armed and thinking deeply. Sasame waited patiently for Ino to begin telling her the news she had about Naruto, but the girl had been sitting in the same position, simply thinking, for the last five minutes!<p>

Finally, Sasame couldn't stand the suspense anymore, swallowed her food, and asked:

"Well? What did you find out about Naruto-san, Ino-chan?!"

Ino blinked.

"Oh right!" She replied, slapping a fist into her other hand. "So, you know that Naruto is an orphan right? No clan; no family that we know of?"

Sasame and Sakura nodded eagerly, wondering what Ino was going to say next. Ino smiled smugly as she observed their expressions, obviously pleased to have such a captive audience.

"Well, I recently found out from my daddy that Naruto-kun was placed in the Konoha orphanage until he was five! The same place you currently are staying at, Sasame-chan!"

Sakura cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"Ino-chan," she began uncertainly. "I'm sure Sasame-chan and I could already gather that much about Naruto...Why is that important?"

Ino rolled her eyes at the pink-haired girl.

"Were you not listening to me, Sakura-chan?" She quipped. "I said: 'he was in the orphanage until he was five!' Naruto-kun is seven now! We know that he lived alone after being in the orphanage until he was taken in by Sasuke-kun's family, but why would a five year old have to leave the orphanage? Doesn't that sound fishy to you?"

Sakura's eyes widened in realization, while Sasame didn't show any reaction at all. Her mind was racing with the implications of Ino's new information.

She thought about the reaction Suzuka-san had when she had told her Naruto's name. She called Naruto a demon and said that demons don't need to be understood, only avoided. It was a terrible thought..but: was it possible?

Sasame's eyes quickly widened.

"Do you guys think that it's possible Naruto-san was kicked out of the Konoha Orphanage?" She asked quietly.

Ino and Sakura's faces quickly morphed into expressions of outright horror. Sakura gasped.

"That's terrible!" She replied in shock, covering her mouth with her hands. "Why would anyone kick a five year old out of an orphanage! I-It's inhumane!"

Ino nodded her agreement, with an equally horrified look as Sakura.

Sasame furrowed her brow and leaned towards the two of them.

"Let me tell you something that happened to me last night at the orphanage..."

Sasame went on to explain about her conversation with Suzuka-san to the two girls. When she finished, both girls were silent for a long while, until Ino slowly said, in barely a whisper:

"She called Naruto-kun a demon? Really?"

Sasame nodded sadly. Ino shook her head in disgust.

"Naruto-kun is anything but a demon! We went over this yesterday! Why does it keep popping up!"

Sakura's face fell as she thought about what Sasame had told her and what Ino had just said.

"Maybe it keeps popping up," she began darkly. "Because there's something the older adults know about Naruto that we don't. Maybe he did something in the past that was considered so bad they call him that?"

Ino snorted derisively.

"What could a five year old boy possibly do that's worthy of being called 'demon', Sakura-chan?" She snapped.

Sakura simply shrugged.

"I don't know," she answered quietly. "I just feel like it's not a coincidence that so many people call him that. It's not simply out of spite; I know that much. It would be really stupid of people to call someone names unless they had a reason for it!"

Ino scoffed and pointed across the schoolyard at Ami and her friends who were currently harassing an irritated Sasuke.

"I find that hard to believe, Sakura-chan!" Ino reasoned. "Look at Ami! She bullied you for no reason at all! Just because you have a big forehead! That doesn't give her the right! There's nothing wrong with you having a big forehead!"

Sakura frowned and quickly brought up her hands to cover her forehead.

"Ino-chan..." She said with a hurt expression. Ino's gaze quickly softened.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan," she apologized. "It's just if what you're saying is true, then you're pretty much saying that Ami was justified to bully you over something you have no control over. Naruto's case is far worse! It'd be one thing if the kids here called him a demon, but full-grown adults? That's just wrong!"

Sasame nodded in agreement at Ino's reasoning.

"I agree, Ino-chan," she said with a thoughtful expression on her face. "It begs the question as to _why _the villagers all treat Naruto-san like he's some sort of demon. We're with him everyday. He's perfectly normal! We know him..."

Sasame stopped her reply short. Did they really know Naruto though? Wasn't that why they were sitting here in the first place? To figure out what was really going on in the life of their friend? She frowned as she thought about it. Nothing made sense!

She suddenly remembered her conversation with Sai yesterday, and her expression lightened. She might find out all the answers to her questions tonight! Then, she could tell Sakura and Ino! Even Sasuke!

Ino gave Sasame a strange look that broke the girl out of her thoughts.

"Are you okay, Sasame-chan?" Ino asked concernedly. "Why are you smiling?"

Sasame quickly schooled her expression into a more neutral one.

"It's nothing," she assured the two girls. "I was thinking of something else."

Ino narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Sasame. Sasame hoped that the girl wouldn't press the subject. She couldn't possibly tell the two of them about her meeting with Sai yesterday, or the fact that she was going to meet this 'Lord Danzo' tonight to get her questions about Naruto answered!

After a long silence, Ino shrugged, causing Sasame to let out a mental sigh of relief.

"Well," Sakura began. "We're still completely in the dark about this. I say we keep digging for information!"

Ino rolled her eyes at Sakura and smirked.

"You're really enjoying this 'detective work' aren't you, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura flushed pink with indignation.

"N-no!" She stammered. "I-I just find it interesting is all!"

Ino and Sasame laughed.

"I'm just teasing, Sakura-chan!" Ino replied as she unpacked her food. "All of this detective stuff though is making me hungry! Let's eat!"

Sasame smiled and nodded.

She would find out what all of them desperately wanted to know tonight.

* * *

><p>Naruto watched in a mixture of awe and bewilderment as Chouji proceeded to stuff the rough equivalent of six meals into his mouth at an alarming speed. He was shocked that <em>anyone <em>could fit so much food into their body at one time! Even his top ramen bowl count paled in comparison! And _that _was saying something!

Shikamaru chuckled as he noticed Naruto's expression, causing Naruto to glance at the Nara boy, with his jaw unhinged and pointing at Chouji.

"Will he be okay?" Naruto asked weakly. "I mean; it can't be possible to eat that much food at once, right?"

Shikamaru winced as Chouji let out a loud belch and resumed stuffing his face shortly after.

"Normally that'd be true," Shikamaru explained. "But the Akimichi clan is troublesome that way. Apparently, they are able to convert all of the calories they eat into chakra, so they need to constantly eat, or something like that..."

Naruto nodded slightly and continued to watch Chouji shovel down another two boxed lunches at the speed of light.

"So, why did you really ask me to sit with you?" Naruto asked Shikamaru, who cocked an eyebrow at him in interest.

Shikamaru sighed and glanced over at Ino, Sasame, and Sakura, who were on the other side of the yard, whispering in hushed tones.

"I had two reasons, honestly," Shikamaru said, which caught Naruto's attention. Shikamaru turned back to face Naruto with a bored look on his face. "The first reason is the reason I told you earlier: I didn't want to listen to your troublesome whining if you had to eat alone..."

Naruto smiled slightly at the boy's confession. At first he'd assumed that Shikamaru might have had ulterior motives. It wouldn't have been the first time someone treated him nicely only to stab him in the back in return.

"The second reason," Shikamaru continued, snapping Naruto out of his train of thought. "Is that I get the feeling Ino is up to something concerning you. I've known the troublesome girl since we were little, and anytime she expresses interest in anyone, she won't stop until she knows everything about them. Look at Sasuke..."

As if summoned, Sasuke ran by the group of boys, frantically trying to shake off Ami, who was clinging to his leg.

"A little help, please!?" Sasuke screamed at them.

Shikamaru yawned and shrugged.

"Sorry," he replied flatly. "Too troublesome."

Sasuke scowled at him and then whipped his head to look at Naruto, who was laughing, and Chouji, who was now on his seventh boxed lunch and showing no signs of stopping soon.

"Well!?" He demanded.

Naruto shrugged and then pointed at Ami.

"Anko-sensei would say work on your leg strength if you couldn't shake her off by now..."

Sasuke fumed and continued running, with Ami still attached, cursing the three boys as he did so.

Naruto laughed again and then faced Shikamaru.

"So, what did you mean about Sasuke?" He asked curiously.

Shikamaru quickly reached over and began to pat Chouji on the back, for the poor Akimichi boy was choking slightly. Chouji heaved a great breath of relief when his windpipe became unclogged, and gave Shikamaru a grateful smile.

"No problem. Chouji," Shikamaru chuckled, and then faced Naruto again. "Anyways, Ino tried for the first month of the Academy to figure all that there was to know about Sasuke. She never tried stalking him like Ami and the other troublesome fan-girls, but she was tenacious. I'm just saying that now that you've got her interest, she might do the same to you."

"So you think Ino wants to find out stuff about me?" He asked bewilderingly.

Shikamaru shook his head.

"No," he replied. "I _know _she's trying to. That means that if you have anything you want to hide, she'll do everything she possibly can to find out about it. She really troublesome that way..."

Naruto's face paled. If Ino was really trying to find out about him, then there was a good chance she'd be looking into why he was treated the way he was in the village. Not only that, but if she was able to dig up the information, she could find out about his 'shadow' problem, or worse: Kurama. Naruto had no doubt that all of his friends, even his new-found family in the Uchiha's would quickly abandon him once they discovered that he was the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails. Then, he'd be back to living a lonely, unacknowledged existence. He'd at least have Anko-sensei: but sometimes, the woman was more of a curse than a blessing...

Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow when he noticed Naruto's anxious expression, and then sighed tiredly.

"I wouldn't fret too much about it, Naruto," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "Ino is good at finding out gossip, but she'd no detective; she won't know where to look if she really wants to dig up dirt on you."

Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Shikamaru. He didn't often get moments of insight, but when he did, they were surprisingly profound.

"Are you saying that _you _do?" Naruto asked quietly.

Shikamaru's eyes widened slightly and he waved his hands in a dismissive gesture.

"Even if I did," Shikamaru retorted. "It'd be too troublesome to even try! Besides: I'm not Ino. I don't really care too much about anyone's secrets."

Naruto sighed a breath of relief at the lazy boy's statement. The last thing he needed was for Shikamaru of all people to go snooping around into his personal life. Slouch the boy was, but he was also wickedly intelligent when he felt like it. Naruto had no doubt the Nara could figure out his secret if he wanted to put some effort into it.

Naruto smiled widely at Shikamaru.

"Thanks for the warning, and the invitation to eat with you guys!" Naruto said sincerely.

Shikamaru smirked and then winced as Chouji let out an even louder burp.

"No problem, Naruto," he said. "Of everyone in the Academy, you're the most troublesome, but for some reason, I don't mind too much."

Naruto smiled as he began to eat lunch with the two boys, while Sasuke continued to try; and fail to get Ami to let go of his leg.

* * *

><p>It was evening when Sasame snuck out of the orphanage, being very careful to be as silent as possible. There was little to no risk of her being discovered by Suzuka-san, but she would rather be safe than sorry. It would take to much time to explain what she was doing sneaking out, and once the matron discovered that it was all for the sake of finding out more about Naruto, she would quickly admonish her for it.<p>

Sasame made her way across the dark lawn in the waning light cast from the sun as it set over the peak of the of the distant mountains that surrounded the village, and made her way into the forest.

* * *

><p>After what seemed like hours, she finally made it to the small wooden bridge, only to find Sai waiting, as promised. The boy smiled when he saw her approach.<p>

"I'm glad you could make it, Sasame-san." Sai said in greeting.

Sasame smiled slightly and nodded.

"Yes, I'm eager to find out what this Lord Danzo knows about Naruto-san."

Sai nodded and peered about suspiciously. He turned to face Sasame with a slight frown on his pale face.

"You weren't followed, were you?" He asked quickly, causing Sasame to widen her eyes in alarm.

"I-I don't think so..." She replied, now glancing around at the surrounding trees.

Sai continued to glance around warily before he nodded and face her again.

"Let's get going," he said quickly. "It's best not to keep Lord Danzo waiting..."

Sasame nodded and followed Sai as the boy began to swiftly walk. Catching up to him, she asked a question that had been on her mind since their meeting last night.

"So," she began slowly. "Where is this Lord Danzo?"

Sai was silent for a few moments before he glanced at her and shot her a smile.

"You'll see," he replied. "Just keep following me."

Sasame nodded, although she couldn't shake off the feeling that she might be leading herself into a dangerous situation. She glanced at Sai, who was silent, as usual, and breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she was with the pale-skinned boy she was certain that he would not allow any harm to come to her. The thought gave her piece of mind. Setting her jaw in a look of fierce determination, she continued to silently follow Sai, anxious to have her questions about Naruto answered at long last.

* * *

><p>"That girl seriously is a fool!" Hissed Anko Mitarashi as she dispelled her camouflage technique from a nearby tree as the duo if Sasame and Sai made their way away from her. "I should've watched her too! She's treading dangerous water..."<p>

Anko had made it her personal mission to follow Sai whenever she found out from her students that the boy had mysteriously dropped out of the Academy today. The idea didn't sit well with the Snake Mistress, and she followed her instincts on the matter, leading her to overhear Sasame's meeting with Sai no less than a few moments ago. The Root boy almost figured out that she was present however, and Anko thanked Kami that the boy seemed to relax a few seconds before roving his eyes over her location. Anko was good at stealth, there was no doubt in her mind that she could conceal herself well, but the boy had training; that much was certain. If he really tried to find her, Anko had no reservations that Sai would've noticed her sooner or later.

"I should tell Naruto about this," Anko whispered. "I warned him about Sai, but that stubborn brat wouldn't listen!"

"Maybe it's because he trusts his friends, eh, Anko-chan?" Came a deep voice from above her, causing Anko to whip out a kunai and quickly toss it in the voice's direction.

"Hey now!" Came the startled voice of Jiraiya, who hopped down beside her, hands up in a placating gesture. "I'm not your enemy!"

Anko snarled as she rounded on the Toad Sage.

"I don't know about that, Jiraiya!" She hissed. "I'm still mad at you for touching my butt!"

Jiraiya sighed as he crossed his arms.

"I told you that was an accident!" He explained in a pout. "Although, it was nice..."

Anko swiped at the Toad Sage who gracefully ducked under the blow.

"Now, now," Jiraiya chided with a teasing smirk. "Shouldn't we go warn the gaki that his friend is in danger?"

Anko felt her irritation drain slightly at Jiraiya's reasoning. She sighed and crossed her arms.

"Fine," she said at last. "But if you so much as make a pass at me, I'm going to have one of my most venomous snakes bite you where the sun doesn't shine!"

Jiraiya's face paled as he clutched his family jewels.

"Point taken," he squeaked. "I won't do anything: I promise!"

Anko smirked in satisfaction and turned in the direction of the Uchiha district.

"Let's go then, you pervert!" She called as she hopped onto a branch of the nearest tree and began running.

Jiraiya sighed as he hopped after the Snake Mistress, a scowl on his face.

"I'm a super-pervert..." He grumbled, but only loud enough that he could hear it. He didn't want Anko to set her snakes on him, even if she was justified to.

* * *

><p>Sasame's eyes widened as she followed Sai down a long series of tunnels that led underneath the village and then opened up to reveal a large cavernous system of bridges and pipes.<p>

"What is this place?" She breathed as she took in her surroundings.

Sai turned to look at her as they continued walking and smiled.

"This is where I live," he replied casually. "Lord Danzo trains his faction of shinobi here. This is Root headquarters."

Sasame tilted her head in confusion.

"What's Root?" She asked curiously.

Sai continued to smile as he walked and explained:

"Root is an organization founded by Lord Danzo that does all of the things that Konoha doesn't want seen in the public eye. Assassinations, kidnappings; you know: things that would make the village look bad if they were public knowledge, but essential to the upkeep of the village's infrastructure..."

Sasame's eyes widened in alarm. What had she gotten herself into? She assumed that Sai would take her to the man's home to meet with him! Not an underground base! Lat the same moment the thought crossed through her mind, she found herself surrounded on all sides by various shinobi in black, all with blank white masked fixed over their faces. She made to take a step back, but felt the sharp point of a kunai touch the small of her back, and quickly stiffened.

"S-Sai!" Sasame stammered in fear. "W-what's going on here!?"

Sai frowned as he turned on Sasame.

"I'm really sorry, Sasame-san," Sai said emotionlessly. "But, you see: Lord Danzo needed bait to get Naruto Uzumaki to come here of his own accord. Sadly, that means that you had to be the bait."

Sasame felt her insides boil with rage.

"I trusted you, Sai!" She screamed. "I trusted you! Why would you do this! We're supposed to be friends! What does this Lord Danzo want with Naruto-san!?"

Sai said nothing as he regarded Sasame with a blank expression etched upon his pale face.

"I want to make Uzumaki into one of my subordinates, to teach him to unlock his true potential as a shinobi, my dear." Came an eerie voice from behind her.

Sasame craned her head around, as much as she could, and watched as an old man hobbled towards the group.

She thought the man looked like a mummy. He had bandages covering one side of his face and head, alloing only a small stock of spiky black hair to protrude from them. He had an 'X' shaped scar across his chin, and his face was set in a blank expression. He wore black robes over his body and walked with a wooden cane. He approached her and stopped when he was only a few feet from her. Sasame couldn't shake the feeling of trepidation that flowed through her when she met the man's cold stare.

"W-who are you!?" Sasame whispered in terror.

The man let out a wheezy chuckle as he regarded her coldly.

"Why, Sasame-san," He wheezed. "I'm Lord Danzo: the true leader of Konohagakure no Sato, and you my dear..."

His face twisted into a wicked smirk that made Sasame's insides squirm.

"Are my permanent guest."

**AN:**** Oh no! Danzo has Sasame! But hopefully Anko and Jiraiya can get to Naruto in time to warn him about his friend's capture! What will happen next? Find out in the next chapter of The Fox's Shadow! Afroman007 signing out!**


	35. Chapter 35

**AN: Whooo! How'dya like me now, fancition!? That's two chapters in less than 24 hours! I hope you guys enjoy what I'm calling the Dammit, Danzo! Arc. I'm going to be busy tomorrow, but I'll most likely have the next chapter up sometime later in the night tomorrow. I appreciate all of the feedback you guys are sending: keep it coming!**

**Chapter 35:**

Jiraiya and Anko made it out of the forest in next to no time at all, only to be greeted by someone both of them did not expect to see walking leisurely toward them.

Hiruzen Sarutobi strode forward, dressed in his full Hokage robes, and hat placed upon his head. He had a large frown etched upon his wizened features.

"Are you two idiots?" He asked abruptly, causing both Anko and Jiraiya to blink at each other in confusion.

"Excuse me, sir?" Anko asked in bewilderment.

Sarutobi shook his head and crossed his arms.

"I'll ask again," he replied, with a hint of growing irritation in his voice. "Are you two idiots?"

Anko was at a loss for words, unfortunately, Jiraiya was not.

"Sensei!" Jiraiya admonished. "Can we please not waste time with this pointless banter? Naruto needs to know that his 'friend' Sai has led his other friend into danger!"

Sarutobi's eyebrow twitched in annoyance at Jiraiya's proclamation.

"THAT'S WHY I ASKED MY FIRST QUESTION, JIRAIYA-KUN!" Sarutobi bellowed, causing Jiraiya to take a step back in shock. Sarutobi took a deep breath and released it in a long, drawn-out sigh of exasperation.

"Listen," he continued, adjusting his hat slightly as he spoke. "Naruto-kun is the absolute _last _person we get involved in this situation. I thought shinobi as experienced as you two would know this."

Jiraiya and Anko both lowered their heads in slight shame. It wasn't too long however, before Anko found her courage and argued back:

"But Naruto deserves to know!" she reasoned with the older man. "It's his friends: you know he thinks the world of them!"

"That's _exactly _why we don't involve the boy," Sarutobi countered, fixing Anko with a look of finality. "Use your heads: if Danzo has captured one of Naruto's friends, and the other friend's loyalties are in question, what do you think Naruto-kun would do in the situation? He may have improved greatly in the past year in his training, but we would be foolish to send him into the den of the beast itself!"

Anko lowered her head in shame again. Why didn't she think of that.

Sarutobi sighed again as he massaged his temples.

"I will have no more of this sneaking around behind my back you two," Sarutobi warned. "I've been using my crystal ball to keep an eye on Naruto-kun's friends as well, and I suspected Sai was a plant from Danzo the moment I saw the boy. I took precautions. Anko: you should have come to me immediately when you noticed something was off about the boy; not taken matters into your own hands. And you, Jiraiya..."

Jiraiya, acting like the mature and experienced shinobi he was, had to repress a chuckle at Anko's verbal lashing from Sarutobi to face his sensei with a solemn expression when addressed.

"You shouldn't have encouraged Anko-chan to act so recklessly. The last thing we need is a seven-year-old Academy student barging into Danzo's lair to save his friends. In fact: the boy wouldn't even get that far! He'd be captured and we'd be in serious trouble!"

It was Jiraiya's turn to join Anko in looking completely shamed. He hung his head dejectedly and sighed.

Sarutobi's gaze roved over the two shinobi, a critical glint in his eyes as he did so. Finally, the old man sighed and crossed his arms.

"Did either one of you possibly consider that I have let Danzo continue to do as he wishes for an opportunity like this to arise? Well: did you?"

Jiraiya and Anko glanced at each other, and then back at the old Hokage; both at a loss for words. Sarutobi shook his head in exasperation.

"I thought not." He replied sharply. "There's a reason why I'm the leader of the village, you two. I'm responsible for knowing what's happening everywhere: even if that old fossil Danzo tries to hide it from me."

Sarutobi snapped his fingers and a squad of ANBU appeared seemingly out of thin air, and knelt before their leader.

"Fan out and search the forest for any traces of the boy's current location. The girl with him is not trained in shinobi arts yet, so they will have to travel slowly. If you encounter them, subdue the boy and bring him to me. In the meantime, Jiraiya-kun, Anko-chan: come with me."

The ANBU all nodded silently, and vanished into the forest as quickly as they had appeared.

Jiraiya watched them vanish and then turned to his sensei, a look of confusion etched upon his face.

"Sensei, I-" he began, but was cut off by Sarutobi who interjected:

"Enough, Jiraiya-kun," Sarutobi snapped. "We have much to plan for if Danzo is finally making his move on Naruto-kun. I am worried about Sasame-chan's safety; but if I know Danzo, he'll use the girl as bait. Therefore, she should be fine as long as Danzo remains unaware of what I have planned."

Anko narrowed her eyes at Sarutobi and crossed her arms.

"And if I might ask, Old Man," she said skeptically. "What _do _you plan to do about this?"

Even though he should've been angered by Anko's flippant tone, Sarutobi smirked.

"I'm going to do what I should've done a long time ago," he said with a growing determination behind his tone. "I'm going to drag that old bastard out of the shadows, and expose him!"

* * *

><p>Naruto lay on his bed in the Uchiha household, thinking deeply.<p>

He thought about what Shikamaru had told him at lunch about Ino looking into his history. The sheer thought of the girl finding out about Kurama and his problem with the mysterious shadow hunter he had both terrified and irritated him. He was terrified for the obvious reasons: he did not want to lose the new friends he had made simply because of his status as a Jinchuuriki. No doubt they would shun him and try to avoid him at all cost, fearful that the demon fox would possibly escape and wreak havoc across the village like it did seven years ago. He was irritated simply because he didn't like the fact that Ino would go behind his back like she was doing now. It wasn't that Naruto didn't _trust _his friends; he merely wanted to _protect _them, and to an extent: himself, from anyone ever finding out about his dark secret.

He then thought about Mikoto-oba, and Itachi-nii and felt his chest tighten with anxiety. Surely they must know that he was a container, right? What did they really think about him?

He rolled over in his bed and stared hard at the wall, a scowl marring his features.

Was it possible that the Uchiha family was simply watching over him to make sure the fox didn't try and break free? Did they offer him a home, a family; just to monitor him like some sort of test subject?

The thought filled him with anger and sorrow at the same time.

He punched his pillow with an almighty growl. Why did everything have to be so complicated in his life!? Why couldn't the idiot Fourth have sealed the fox in some other child!? He would be just like the others if he had! He could walk down the streets of the village and actually be smiled at, and even talked to like a normal human being! He wouldn't have to look over his shoulder for his mysterious stalker, the shadow, every time he left his home! The problems would rest on some other unfortunate child's shoulders, and Naruto Uzumaki would just be another normal citizen of Konohagakure! He could become a ninja, and live without the weight of his existence constantly trying to break him down!

Naruto felt a sensation rising in his chest, and his eyes began to water. Could he really wish his burden on someone else though? He had lived with it for as long as he could remember. Would he be able to sit by and watch as another person suffered through the same neglect and abuse he did? Surely not.

He settled back down in his bed and stared blankly at the ceiling. This was his life, and there was no changing the fact. He was the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox, and he did have to suffer for it. Naruto had learned from Kurama that the word Jinchuuriki literally meant 'The Power of Human Sacrifice'. The blunt honesty of the phrase made him laugh mirthlessly. Was that all he was? Just a shell of Kurama?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock on his door. He quickly sat up in his bed.

"It's open," he croaked in a weary voice.

The door opened to reveal Mikoto, who silently stepped into his room with a look of concern on her pretty features.

"Are you alright, Naruto-kun?" She asked softly. "You didn't eat much at dinner, so I was concerned..."

Naruto flashed her a smile, but the light of it didn't quite reach his eyes, and he knew it. From Mikoto's stern expression however, he realized that she was able to see through his facade as well.

"No," Naruto spat dejectedly as he scrunched up his blankets in his hands. "I'm not okay, Mikoto-oba..."

Mikoto made her way over to his bed and sat down gently on the edge and faced him, a sad look on her face.

"Can you tell me what's bothering you?" She asked. "I want to help..."

Naruto considered her offer. He could finally get all of this off of his chest, yet at the same time: would he discover that Mikoto really didn't care for him at all? Or that she had simply put up a front of kindness just do it would hurt him more when she finally turned her back on him?

He decided to take a chance. Naruto began to tell Mikoto about everything that was bothering him. He knew that he should've kept the information about his 'shadow' secret, but for some reason, once he began relaying his worries to the Uchiha matriarch, it was as if a dam had burst open, and everything just flowed out. When Naruto was finished, Mikoto didn't speak for several minutes. When she finally did however, she spoke gently and warmly to him.

"Naruto-kun," she began. "I can't begin to imagine what you've suffered through. However, I can honestly tell you that you need to share this with your friends! They worry about you! Even Sasuke: although my son is to proud to say it, thinks of you like his third brother! And I think of you like my very own son! I don't care that you have the Kyuubi sealed inside you; I never did."

Naruto felt tears well up in his eyes and quickly tried to wipe them away, but Mikoto caught his arm as he raised it and fixed her onyx eyes on him.

"It's alright to cry, Naruto-kun," she whispered softly. "I won't judge you for it..."

And so, Naruto wept, and wept, until he felt completely emptied of all the resentments and sadness he felt. Mikoto embraced him as he did so, and patted his back consolingly.

When Naruto was completely done, he sniffled a bit, and gazed at the woman he had begun to think of as his own mother.

"Thanks kaa-san (mother); I-I mean, Mikoto-oba..." He rectified quickly, not wanting to offend the woman.

To Naruto's surprise, Mikoto beamed at him.

"I don't mind if you call me kaa-san, Naruto-kun." She replied simply, still smiling.

Naruto's grin threatened to split his face.

"Really?" He asked hopefully. "I don't want to offend you or anything-"

Mikoto hushed him by placing a finger on his lips.

"Naruto-kun," she said sternly. "I already told you that I think of you like a son; obviously that also means that in turn, I see myself as your mother. I would never be offended by one of my sons calling me by my name!"

Naruto felt a fresh swell of emotion rising up in his chest, but with effort, was able to force it down.

"Thanks, kaa-san," Naruto whispered as he hugged Mikoto again. "I mean it: you're the best."

Mikoto smiled brightly as she leaned down to give Naruto a kiss on the forehead.

"If anything is ever bothering you, Naruto-kun," she added as she got up from the bed and went for the door. "You can always come talk to me about it. That's what mother's are for after all!"

Naruto nodded and smiled as she opened the door, only to gasp in surprise when she did.

Naruto's eyes widened in alarm as he saw the sight before him.

Itachi and Sasuke both spilled into the room, Sasuke landing on top of his elder brother in a heap.

Itachi (being the slick shinobi that he was) quickly sprang to his feet and lowered his head in shame, while Sasuke (who was not nearly as slick) began to spew out a plethora of excuses to the now-enraged Mikoto, who stood facing them, arms akimbo, and looking generally pissed.

"What are you two doing, listening in on our conversation!?"

Sasuke continued to spew nonsense, until Itachi placed a hand on his brother's head, which shut him up at once.

"I'm sorry mother," Itachi apologized. "Both of us were also curious as to why Naruto-kun was acting so strangely at dinner tonight. We wanted to make sure he was okay..."

Mikoto scowled and crossed her arms.

"As noble a sentiment that is you two," she said sharply. "How would you like it if I barged in on a private conversation you were having?"

The Uchiha brothers both lowered their heads in shame.

Suddenly, Sasuke looked up with a mixture of confusion and shock.

"Mother!" Sasuke gasped in alarm. "Naruto: he's gone!"

Mikoto gasped and quickly ran to the window, that was now propped open. She stuck her head out and called for Naruto, but she didn't get any response. She quickly turned on Itachi and Sasuke.

"Itachi-kun," she said urgently. "Can you please go out and search for him? Make sure he's okay. He was really terrified of you two finding out about his secret, so I'm sure he's not sure how to deal with the fact that you know now!"

Itachi nodded and made his way out of the room to get dressed in something other than his clan pajamas. Even though he was worried about his little brother, he was still clan head. He couldn't simply waltz out into the village in pajamas unless he wanted to make his clan the laughing stock of Konoha.

Sasuke fumed as his mother turned on him.

"What about me!?" He demanded in a pout. "I want to help Naruto too!"

Mikoto smiled slightly as she patted the boy on the head.

"That's very sweet of you son," Mikoto began kindly, and then switched to a more serious tone. "But you're only seven. I can't in good conscience sent you out so late at night to go looking for Naruto-kun. Leave it to Itachi-kun: he'll find him..."

Sasuke continued to fume, but didn't argue.

Itachi reappeared moments later, dressed in a standard Konoha flak jacket and black pants.

"I'll go tell Lord Hokage that Naruto is missing first," Itachi informed his mother. "He'll want to know. Also, he might be able to round up a search party of people Naruto can trust: we'll find him twice as fast if there's more people searching!"

Mikoto nodded and then added:

"Take Shisui-kun with you," she suggested. "He's really warmed up to Naruto-kun. He'll want to help!"

Itachi nodded and then looked at Sasuke, who was still pouting at not being allowed to help.

"While I'm gone Sasuke, you're in charge," Itachi said with a smile. "Protect mother and watch over the clan alright?"

Sasuke gasped, grinned, and then nodded eagerly.

"You can count on me, nii-san!" Sasuke cheered. His face slowly fell and he tugged on Itachi's arm as the older boy turned to go.

"Yes, Sasuke?" Itachi asked quickly.

Sasuke was silent for a moment before he said quitely:

"Find our brother, will you, nii-san?"

Mikoto and Itachi both smiled at him and Itachi nodded.

"I will," he said with determination. "You can count on me."

* * *

><p>Sasame was unceremoniously tossed into a dark room and the door was shut soon after. She ran to the iron-clad door and pounded on it, but to no avail. She was trapped. She slid down the side of the door to her knees and began to weep.<p>

_'Why is this happening?' _She thought despondently. _'I thought Sai was my friend! All I wanted was to find out more about Naruto-san! And now...'_

And now, Sasame had effectively let herself become bait for Danzo's scheme. She felt so stupid! She should've heard warning bells when Sai asked her to talk, but of course she didn't: she trusted the boy! And now, look where it got her: locked up and alone.

She wondered if anyone even knew that she was captured. She snorted in derision. Surely not. Suzuka-san wouldn't realize she was gone until morning, or in the worst-case scenario, the matron would simply assume that Sasame opted out on breakfast and made her way to the Academy! Naruto and the others would surely wonder where she was tomorrow in class, but since she didn't tell anyone about her rendezvous with Sai, they'd have no idea that she was locked up in Danzo's underground base.

She felt a stab of guilt course through her. She'd never be able to look at herself in the mirror again if Naruto somehow got caught because he wanted to help her. She didn't like what Danzo had said about molding Naruto into a weapon he could use. In fact, she wondered why the man was so fixated on acquiring her friend. She surmised that the mysteries surrounding Naruto had something to do with it.

There was a soft tap on the door, and Sasame quickly shot to her feet in alarm.

"Sasame-san, are you alright?" Came the voice of Sai.

Sasame gritted her teeth in outrage. The very boy who led her into this situation had the nerve to try and talk to her!?

"Go away!" She snarled. "You're the _last _person I want to speak to!"

There was silence for a while before Sai replied:

"Listen, I'm really sorry about-"

"Sorry!?" Sasame screeched. "You're _sorry!? _You lied to me! in fact: you lied to everyone at the Academy! You were never our friend!"

Sai said nothing as Sasame continued her tirade.

"What did you even come to the Academy for Sai!? Was it to make us trust you, just so you could stab us in the back, like you are now!? I hate you!"

"Sasame-san, I-"

"Don't!" Sasame roared. Her throat ached from screaming, and she was beginning to feel completely void of caring about having a conversation with the boy. "Don't say you're sorry either, because you're not! I can't believe I ever called you my friend...You're...you're..."

Sasame felt hot tears streaming down her face now, and collapsed to the cold floor and sobbed. There was no reply from Sai, but Sasame was certain that the pale-skinned boy was still just on the other side of the door.

"P-please go away, Sai," Sasame croaked after several long minutes of silence. "Just go..."

Sasame waited and sure enough, she heard the soft footfalls of the boy walking away. She briefly wondered what the boy was going to say, before she dismissed the thought. It didn't matter what Sai said now: he was nothing to her now. Sai was just yet another person she had lost in one way or another. Unlike the people closest to her though, Sai was still alive, so she technically didn't lose him the way she lost her family and friends in her home, but the loss still felt the same. She cradled her knees up to her chest and sniffled quietly.

Suddenly, she heard a weak voice from somewhere in the room call out to her.

"Hello?" The voice said. It sounded like a boy her age. The voice was very soft however, almost a whisper. Sasame felt a surge of alarm shot through her. There was someone else in here!

She didn't respond to the boy's call, instead; she simply pulled her knees tighter into herself and tried to remain as quiet and still as possible.

"I know there's someone else here..." replied the voice, still weak sounding, but with more confidence. "I can still sense chakra, although I'm not good for much else..."

Sasame lifted her head up and stared into the inky darkness of the room. Now that she really observed her surroundings, she noticed that the room she was tossed into looked like some sort of hospital room. It had all the tools and instruments a doctor would normally use, but Sasame had to wonder why there was an iron-cast door locking the room. Could the owner of the voice be dangerous? Why else would you lock someone in here?

Sasame fumbled around in the darkness as she slowly got to her feet. She felt along the walls and sure enough, came upon a switch and flicked it upward. There was a blinding flash that made her cry out slightly, as her eyes attempted to adjust to the now illuminated room. When the spots cleared from her vision, she looked around, and then gasped.

Sure enough, as she surmised earlier: she was in what appeared to be a fully-functioning hospital room, that reminded her of the one she had been placed in when she first arrived in the village. The room was surprisingly bleak in comparison however. Instead of clean, white walls, the room was covered in dark gray stone. The floor, was also covered in similar material. It looked more like a prison cell than a hospital room, although Sasame was sure that the room's function was that of the latter. The most shocking discovery the girl made however, was when she noticed a bed that was on the far side of the room, on the opposite side of where she was currently standing.

On the bed, covered to his chest with a thin blanket, was a boy her age. He had shoulder-length gray hair and dark-colored eyes. His skin was pale, although Sasame realized that it was from a lack of sunlight, unlike Sai, whose skin seemed to naturally be that color. She couldn't see the rest of his body since it was obscured by blankets, but from the pained look on the boy's face, she assumed that he must be in great pain.

Carefully and slowly, Sasame made her way towards the boy, whose head slowly rose from his pillow to look at her. When she was only a few feet from the boy's bed, he did something she wasn't expecting him to do: he smiled.

It was a _real _smile, very unlike the one's that Sai gave, that lacked emotion or genuine feeling. It reminded her slightly of Naruto's: so full of vitality and happiness. The thought of her friend sent a jolt of sorrow through her. Would she ever see him again?

She dispelled her thoughts in favor of looking at the boy, whose gaze stayed on hers. She was surprised that even though the boy seemed to be suffering, he could still manage to give off a warm smile.

Sasame gulped as she warily continued to approach the bed-ridden boy until she was right next to his bedside.

"Hello," said the boy genially. "Who are you? And what are you doing in here? Are you a new recruit?"

Sasame's barriers went up immediately at the word 'recruit'. _'So this boy is just like Sai, then? _' She thought with a scowl. She took a step back, and then another. The boy tried to sit up, but winced and let out a cry of pain. Sasame, against her better judgment, moved closer to make sure the boy was alright. Regardless of his affiliation, she couldn't stand to see others suffer.

"Are you alright?" She asked in concern.

The boy winced again, but when he turned to look at her, he smiled widely once more.

"No," he replied, with a tone of bitterness in his voice. "but today is one of my better days..."

He glanced at Sasame and continued to smile.

"You never did answer my question, though," he reminded her. "Who are you? And why are you in here?"

Sasame sucked in a breath and then let it out slowly. She really had nothing to fear from this boy. He could sense chakra, but he had said himself that he couldn't do much else. The fact that he was also bedridden also gave her some small degree of safety from anything he could possibly try to do. Looking at him though, Sasame was almost certain that the boy meant her no ill-will. Then again, Sasame was wary to take anyone's word or appearance at face-value anymore. Looking down at the boy again, she noticed that he continued to regard her expectantly. Seeing no harm in answering, Sasame replied:

"My name's Sasame Fuma," she said quietly. "As for why I'm here...I'd rather not talk about it, but I'm _not _a recruit. Who are you?"

The boy smiled and tried to sit up again, only to groan when he couldn't.

He gave Sasame a weak smile and replied:

"Shin. My name is Shin."

* * *

><p>Sarutobi led Anko and Jiraiya back to his office in the Hokage Tower. Once they were all situated, (Sarutobi in his chair, and Anko and Jiraiya in their own chairs in front of his desk) he began to speak.<p>

"Now," he said solemnly. "As I said before: we will _not _tell Naruto-kun anything about this. He will only get hurt or worse; captured by Danzo if my plan goes to waste."

Jiraiya and Anko nodded. Sarutobi, satisfied by their compliance continued:

"My ANBU will surely find Danzo's base anytime now. In the meantime, we should consider a plan of action to storm the base, rescue Sasame-chan, and finally be rid of Danzo for good. That man has been a thorn in my side ever since I took up the mantle of Hokage..."

Anko cleared her throat several seconds later, causing both men to look at her expectantly.

"With all due respect sir," Anko began. "Danzo is very crafty, as I'm sure you know; almost as much as my former sensei. Surely he'll know that we're coming for him, and even if we do corner him, fighting him will be difficult. There's also the matter of his Root operatives to deal with..."

Sarutobi sighed as he got out his pipe, packed it and set it in his mouth. After lighting it and taking a few puffs, he regarded Anko with a serious gaze and replied:

"I know this Anko-chan. It is for that reason precisely that _I _will be the one to confront my old rival. I need one of you to run distraction with a squad of my ANBU, and the other to volunteer to get Sasame-chan out of wherever Danzo is holding her... Well?"

Jiraiya grinned as he punched a fist into his open palm.

"I've never been one to go for the delicate stuff; so I'll run distraction sensei! Anko-chan, you don't mind, do you?"

Anko rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"No," she sighed. "Although, I'd rather give Danzo a kick in the pants..."

Sarutobi nodded gravely and took another long puff on his pipe.

"Good," he replied after a moment. "Then it's decided. Jiraiya-kun will run distraction, and Anko-chan will-"

Suddenly the door to the office burst open, revealing Itachi and Shisui Uchiha, looking anxious and completely flustered.

Sarutobi stood up abruptly, dropping his pipe onto the floor with a clatter, as he observed the two Uchiha's state.

"Itachi! Shisui! What is the meaning of this!?" He demanded.

Itachi looked at Sarutobi with a solemn expression.

"It's Naruto!" He gasped. "Naruto has gone missing, Lord Hokage!"

Anko and Jiraiya both jumped to their feet and began to run over to Itachi, ready to grill him for details when Sarutobi cried:

"STOP!"

Anko and Jiraiya froze in their tracks, as did Itachi and Shisui when the elderly Hokage raised his voice. All four of them turned to look at Sarutobi, who now strode over to them.

"Explain yourself, Itachi." Sarutobi commanded. "What happened to Naruto-kun?"

Itachi explained the conversation he had overheard between his mother and Naruto earlier, and the fact that as he and Sasuke tried to explain their reasons for eavesdropping, Naruto had slipped out the window, unnoticed.

Anko and Jiraiya's faces hardened when they discovered that Sasuke was now aware of Naruto's status in the village, while Shisui seemed unaffected, apparently Itachi already told him the story. Sarutobi's face was lined with a look of trepidation. He was also not too happy about Sasuke finding out about Naruto's burden.

When Itachi was finished, Sarutobi went over to his desk and pulled out a small crystal ball and set it on the desk's surface. He went through a series of handsigns and then channeled his chakra into the orb, only for his brow to furrow in irritation.

"I can't pick up Naruto-kun's chakra signature," He informed the group solemnly. "Something is interfering..."

"Or someone." Added Anko darkly.

Sarutobi didn't have to think twice to understand her meaning, and quickly replaced the crystal ball inside of his desk.

"Here's what I need everyone to do," Sarutobi began authoritatively, causing all four of the other occupants in the room to stand at attention. "Anko and Shisui: you two will go search for Naruto-kun at once! When you find him, take him back to Mikoto-chan, and tell her to watch over him, understood?"

Shisui and Anko both nodded gravely before they vanished in their own respective shunshin.

Sarutobi rounded on Itachi and Jiraiya next.

"Itachi: I need you to round up the other ANBU who are available at HQ. Tell them that I need all of them here within the hour. Go!"

Itachi nodded and vanished in a shunshin as well.

Finally, only Jiraiya was left in the room.

"What do you want me to do, sensei?" The Toad Sage asked expectantly, frowning when Sarutobi didn't answer at once. When he did, the man sighed as he picked up his pipe from off the floor and placed it back on his desk.

"I wanted to tackle the Danzo problem as soon as possible tonight, but Naruto-kun's disappearance is more important. Of all the times for the boy to run off, he goes at a time when things are the most dangerous for him!"

Jiraiya nodded, but then replied sympathetically:

"Look at it from his perspective though, sensei," he reasoned. "The gaki's just found out that the people he holds dearest to him know about his secret, and he's not sure what they think of him now. Obviously he'd be confused and hurt..."

Sarutobi sighed as he massaged his temples.

"Be that as it may, Jiraiya-kun," he said tiredly. "It is still terrible timing...We need to locate Naruto-kun before Danzo does, and I'm worried about what was causing the interference in my crystal ball when I tried to seek the boy out..."

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed.

"You don't think it could be...?"

"I don't know." Replied Sarutobi seriously. "But I _ do_ know that we need to find Naruto-kun before we attempt any move on Danzo. The man is counting on Naruto-kun's love of his friends to lure him into a trap. If the boy somehow discovers that Sasame-chan is in danger..."

"He'll go rushing right into the trap." Jiraiya replied somberly. "What do you need me to do then, sensei?"

Sarutobi walked back around his desk and pulled out a slip of paper, quickly scribbled something down on it and handed it to Jiraiya. When the Toad Sage read the contents of the paper, he gasped and widened his eyes at Sarutobi.

"Sensei!" Jiraiya gawked. "Do you really believe the situation is _that _serious?!"

Sarutobi nodded solemnly.

"I do." He replied flatly. "As of right now, the village of Konohagakure is in complete lock-down until we resolve this crisis."

**AN:**** And there you have it, folks! The second chapter of the 'Dammit, Danzo! Arc'. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and keep on the lookout for the next one either tomorrow night or early morning; whenever I get around to posting it. As always, I appreciate the support you guys have given this story, and I hope you'll share it with others on the site that are looking for a new story to read! Later: Afroman007, signing out! **


	36. Chapter 36

**AN:**** How's everybody doing?! Here's a brand-spanking-new chapter for you! This is part two of the 'Dammit, Danzo! Arc'. As always, review please, and let me know your thoughts! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 36:**

Naruto stared dejectedly down at the village of Konoha from his perch atop the head of the Fourth Hokage on the Hokage Monument. His mind was racing with thoughts; thoughts that he did not want to face, but they kept bubbling to the surface: no matter how much he tried to force them down.

Sasuke and Itachi _knew. _The two boys he had come to think of as brothers now knew his deepest secret! Naruto felt a surge of outrage and terror as he pulled on his hair in agitation. They'd never accept him now! The Uchiha brothers would surely decide to go the same way as the village and ostracize him! He wouldn't be surprised if they petitioned their mother to have him thrown back out onto the streets of the village!

The thought of Mikoto made Naruto pause in his fretful state. She had told him that she knew of his burden, and didn't hate him for it! Perhaps, she would talk to Sasuke and Itachi, maybe she could convince them that he wasn't a monster to be chased away? The thought filled him with a semblance of hope, and then, filled him with guilt soon after.

What did he prove by running away? If he had stayed at the Uchiha household, he could've tried to talk to the brothers, right? Naruto shook his head frantically.

"You're being stupid," Naruto muttered to himself. "There's no way they'd want to talk to me now that they know what I am..."

From deep inside the recesses of his mind, Kurama chimed into Naruto's line of thought.

**"I don't know about that, brat," **the great fox grumbled. **"The female Uchiha meat-sack was being completely sincere with you. I can tell..."**

Naruto scowled as he heard the voice of the creature that caused all of his grief in the first place. Friendly or not, there was still the fact that Kurama was the reason Naruto had suffered so much throughout his life.

'_Oh yeah!?' _Naruto yelled mentally at his tenant. _And how the hell would you know if she was or not!? For all I know, she didn't mean anything she said to me! Sasuke and Itachi definitely hate me now too!'_

Kurama growled in irritation at his warden's flippant tone.

**"I'll have you know, brat!" **Kurama snarled indignantly.** "That I have an ability known as Negative-Emotions Sensing! I can tell if someone means us harm; therefore: you have the same power! You just don't know how to use it yet!"**

Naruto blinked in confusion. Kurama huffed when he felt the boy's bewilderment.

**"Simply put," **Kurama explained. **"You could tell at an instinctual level that the woman was being honest with you; that's why you reacted to her words so strongly. Also, this power is the very same reason you were able to sense that 'shadow' of ours..."**

Naruto felt a chill run down his spine at the mention of the masked shadow. Quickly calming himself, he posed a question:

"Then why couldn't I just use it before?" The boy asked skeptically. Kurama rolled his eyes from his place behind the bars of Naruto's seal at the stupid question.

**"We covered this before too, brat!" **The fox retorted. **"I told you that I was asleep for the earlier part of your life, and didn't wake up fully until a year ago. That means that any of my abilities were dormant in you as well, until I awoke...Now that we have established somewhat of a friendship, or whatever you want to call it, you have access to the ability!"**

Naruto's eyes widened in excitement. Regardless of his current predicament, learning that he had a new ability bolstered the boy's spirits somewhat.

'_How do I use it, then?!' _Naruto exclaimed, causing Kurama to sweat-drop slightly.

**'**_**This brat is going to be the end of me...I swear it.' **_Kurama thought.

**"Listen up: because I'm not repeating myself," **Kurama answered testily, causing Naruto to perk up in full attention. **"The process is really quite simple. All you have to do is focus on chakra signatures..."**

Naruto squinted his eyes, and tilted his head in confusion.

_'Why chakra signatures?' _He asked bewilderingly. _'Can't I just tell another way? I mean-'_

**"Shut up and listen, brat!" **Barked Kurama in agitation, causing Naruto to cut his train of thought off at once. When Kurama felt the boy settle down, he continued; albeit in a more irritated tone. **"You have to sense chakra signatures because...Well, because that's just how it works, alright!? Anyway: once you've done that, you'll get a feeling that will tell you if someone means you harm, or is not being honest with you."**

Naruto nodded sagely, causing the fox to roll his eyes again. Kurama knew for a fact that his warden didn't completely understand the explanation: he didn't even have to try sensing the boy out to grasp that much.

_'Sounds useful..' _Naruto thought sarcastically. _'But how does that solve my problem with Sasuke and Itachi?'_

Kurama growled indignantly at the boy's blatant dismissal of such a powerful weapon.

**"Be grateful brat!" **Kurama barked, even louder than last time. **"I don't bestow my ability to sense emotions to anyone! For instance: I didn't even consider it for my last two containers, and they had better heads on their shoulders than you're showing right now!"**

Naruto gasped out loud, and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

_'I thought you said that the night you were sealed into me by the Fourth was the first time you've ever been sealed! Now you're telling me that I'm your THIRD Jinchuuriki!?'_

Naruto waited for a response from his tenant, but heard nothing for several moments before the fox replied:

**"That's not important right now, brat." **Kurama huffed, although Naruto could sense a bit of discomfort in the fox's usually cynical tone. **"The point is: you have the ability to use as you wish now. As for your problem with your meat-sack 'family', I'd suggest sensing them to see if they really are honest if they tell you they don't mind about you containing me."**

Kurama's reminder that he had to confront the Uchiha brothers about his burden filled Naruto with anxiousness, that was briefly forgotten while the fox explained his new ability to him. He hung his head and glanced at his hands that were folded in his lap. What would he find out if he used his ability to make sure Sasuke and Itachi were being honest with him? Beyond that: what if there wasn't a need to use it? What if the two of them came straight out and told him that they didn't want anything to do with him?

Naruto grasped at his chest as he felt a surge of panic overtake him. He realized that _this _was precisely why he wasn't back at the Uchiha household trying to explain himself! There were too many 'what-if's'. If he went back and talked to Mikoto, used his new power, and found out that her statements earlier were all lies; he didn't know if he'd be able to cope with it!

He took a few large heaves of the cold night air to calm himself down. He hadn't done any of that stuff yet. _Yet _being the keyword. He needed to think of how to approach the situation with the Uchiha brothers, not get worked up over it!

Naruto stood up slowly and was surprised to realize that he was trembling slightly. Was it from his nerves about what he was about to do?

He realized this was not the case, when he felt an overwhelming sense of danger right behind him. Wheeling around, and dropping into a ready combat stance Anko had taught him, he faced the source of the tension, only to have his eyes widen in shock and horror.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," said the raspy voice of his 'shadow'. "Long time, no see, huh?"

* * *

><p>Naruto gulped as he backed up a few steps, but then realized that he was at a dead-end. There was only a few feet between him and the shadow on one side, and he was standing mere inches from the drop-off point of the head of the Fourth carved into the mountain on the other. Glancing backwards at the the drop, he surmised that he could easily scale down the cliff-face, but he would need time to gather his chakra just right to make sure he didn't slip off. If he fell, there'd be no branches like on a tree for him to at least grab onto, only solid ground would meet his descent.<p>

Turning to face his only other option, which was to hopefully distract the shadow long enough to slip away, he grit his teeth and growled:

"What do you want!?"

The masked shadow said nothing for a moment, and then answered:

"I'm here to give you some information I think you'll be most interested in, Naruto-kun."

Seeing the boy ready himself for an attack, the shadow chuckled, causing Naruto to falter somewhat in his stance and regard the shadow warily.

"You still don't understand, apparently." The shadow remarked as it watched the boy's eyes narrow in confusion. "You cannot fight me. And I have no reason to fight you. As I said before: I am only here to give you some information I think you'll be interested in..."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the masked figure. Everything in him was screaming at him to get away as fast as possible, but for some reason: Naruto couldn't help but be curious about what the shadow had to say. It was stupid, he knew that; but what if it was something he really needed to know? The problem was; he didn't trust the shadow at all: but he still wanted to know what it had to say. The shadow in a way had warned him about the Uchiha coup, so what if it was going to tell him something just as urgent?

Naruto suddenly felt a pulse from Kurama and remembered that he had the ability to sense deception now! Feeling more confident that he would be able to discern truth from lies, he straightened his posture, crossed his arms, and glared at his stalker with extreme caution.

"What information could you possibly have?" Naruto scoffed derisively. The shadow said nothing for a moment, before he chuckled.

"I was wondering if you'd want to listen or not," it informed him. "I'm glad you'll hear me out. We're not so different, you and I, Naruto-kun..."

Naruto felt his confidence fade as quickly as it had come, only to be replaced by umbrageous outrage.

"DON'T COMPARE ME TO YOU!" Naruto roared, pointing a finger at the masked shadow. "WE ARE NOTHING ALIKE, YOU HEAR ME!?"

The shadow chuckled again and waved a hand dismissively.

"Oh, how little you understand, Naruto-kun," it chided. "But, believe what you wish. Anyway, I came to inform you that your friends are in danger..."

Naruto rushed toward the shadow aiming to grab him and demand to know what he was talking about. When he approached the masked figure, he was shocked as it simply phased right through him, as if it were made out of smoke, and ended up right where he was standing only a few seconds ago. The shadow shook it's head in disappointment.

"What did I say to you about fighting me?" It remarked. "It's not possible. Anyway, a man named Danzo has your friends, Sasame and Sai held in his base..."

Naruto felt his anger cool as he sensed that the shadow wasn't lying, only to have it replaced by worry. Sasame-chan and Sai? Why did this 'Danzo' guy take them?

"Where are they!?" Naruto demanded, anger spilling into every syllable. The shadow cocked it's head.

"You act as if _I _took your friends, Naruto-kun," it observed, with a hint of mirth in it's tone. "I'm trying to tell you that, if you'll just let me..."

Naruto took a few steadying breaths, but could still feel his anger creeping just below the surface. It drove him crazy that the shadow wasn't lying to him! His friends really _were _in trouble!

"Where. Are. They?" Naruto hissed. The shadow regarded him quietly for a few moments before it simply pointed westward.

"You'll find the entrance to the base a little ways past the Naka River. It's entrance is hidden by a thick patch of moss that grows on the largest tree in the forest. I'm sure you know which tree I'm talking about?"

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. The fact of the matter was: he _ did _know which tree the shadow was referring to. When Naruto still lived at the Konoha Orphanage, he would run away into the woods, just to get away from Suzuka, the matron, who hated him. While in the woods, he had come upon the giant tree, and often sat underneath it wondering what he had done to deserve such harsh treatment. He had no idea that there was an entrance to a base there! How could he not have at least discovered that while he explored? More importantly: how did the shadow know about that!?

Naruto relaxed his posture slightly, but glared mistrustfully at the shadow.

"And am I supposed to just assume that you're not just going to follow and capture me on the way?" Naruto spat.

The shadow chuckled and shook it's head again.

"It's not yet time for you to come over to my side, Naruto-kun." It answered cryptically. "Trust me: when that time comes, you will know. And you will _have _to do it."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the shadow. It had said something similar before when they last met. What was it talking about? He would never join the shadow willingly!

"Whatever," Naruto replied venomously. "I don't care what you say, I'm never going to join you!"

With one more hateful glare at the shadow, who remained motionless and silent, Naruto took off, heading in the direction the shadow had told him.

When Naruto was completely out of view, the shadow began to laugh. After several moments, it calmed down and gazed in the direction the whiskered-boy had just run toward.

"Oh, Naruto-kun," it remarked with malicious glee. "I'm eager for the day that I hear you pledge your willing cooperation to me! Because..."

The shadow smirked under it's mask.

"You most certainly _will _."

* * *

><p>Anko was getting irritated. She, together with Shisui, had combed all of Naruto's usual stomping grounds across the village, and had come up with nothing. She cursed under her breath. Shisui shot a reassuring smile at her as they leapt from rooftop to rooftop, keeping an eye out for the blonde-haired boy.<p>

"Don't worry, Anko-san," Shisui said consolingly. "We'll find Naruto-kun: I swore to Itachi that'd I'd do whatever I could to help. Naruto's family now, after all!"

Anko smiled at the Uchiha, glad to know that besides her, someone else was taking the search for Naruto seriously. She glanced over at Shisui and watched him, as he roved over the streets of the village with his eyes, his red sharingan glowing slightly in the dark.

Shisui had short, unkempt black hair, and a relatively broad nose. His eyelashes were well-defined, turning upwards at each end. He wore the standard attire of most Uchiha clansmen: a high-collared, dark colored shirt, with his clan's red-and-white fan insignia on the back. He was wearing black pants, and sandals. He also wore a tanto horizontally on his back, so that the hilt was on his right shoulder.

Anko had heard of, and seen Shisui before, but she had never worked with him until now. She was somewhat put-off when Sarutobi had paired her with him, as she expected him to have the standard 'holier-than-thou' attitude that most of his clansmen displayed. However, she was surprised when she found him to be easy-going and cheerful, and not the least bit arrogant. The guy had a right to be though, in Anko's opinion. Shisui was known throughout the Konoha shinobi force as 'Shisui of the Body Flicker' for his mastery of the shunshin technique. It was said that the boy could move so fast that he seemed to vanish without a trace while utilizing shunshin in combat. To top it all off, the boy was only a year older than Itachi, at fourteen!

Anko grumbled as the two of them continued hopping from roof to roof searching for Naruto.

_'Nineteen-years-old, and I still pale in comparison to Itachi and Shisui...Way to go, Anko...way to go...'_

Shisui stopped abruptly on the next roof over which caused Anko to snap out of her thoughts and look at him expectantly.

"What is it?" She inquired urgently. "Did you find him?!"

Shisui's eye's narrowed as he glanced right over Anko's shoulder, observing something else entirely. Anko, not one to be ignored, waved her hand in the Uchiha's face, prompting him to look at her.

"Hello?" Anko called loudly. "Did you hear me?!"

Shisui nodded and then pointed in the direction he was previously looking.

"I didn't find Naruto-kun," Shisui began, "but look at the Hokage Monument: can you feel that chakra coming from up there? It's weird..."

Anko wheeled around and gazed at the Hokage Monument, not noticing anything abnormal about the place. Then again: she didn't have the Sharingan. Casting out her senses using chakra, her eyes opened seconds later with a snap, shocking Shisui slightly when Anko quickly turned to face him.

"What's wrong?" Shisui inquired as he noticed Anko's face pale.

Anko didn't answer, and simply began sprinting at full speed across the rooftops of the village, towards the monument, Shisui following close behind.

After several moments of silence between them, Shisui got fed up with being kept in the dark.

"Anko-san!" He called, causing the Snake Mistress to momentarily glance back at him. "What is it!? Do you know where Naruto-kun is!?"

"If the person I'm sensing is who I think it is, then I have no doubt that Naruto's with them!" Anko replied.

Shisui narrowed his eyes.

"If I had to make a guess from the chakra signature, I'd say it's not someone we want Naruto-kun to be around, right?"

Anko was grateful that Shisui had the foresight to know that she couldn't tell him exactly who she was talking about. So, instead of answering she simply nodded and continued jumping towards the monument at full speed.

_'Naruto,' _Anko thought desperately. _'Please be alright!'_

* * *

><p>When the two of them arrived on top of the monument, Anko cursed loudly into the night. The chakra she had sensed, no less than five seconds ago, was completely gone!<p>

"Dammit!" Anko yelled, punching a nearby tree in frustration. "We're too late!"

Shisui, who was gazing around at their surroundings shook his head slowly and replied:

"I don't think so, Anko-san," he said calmly. "If you'd just calm yourself for a moment and sense out the area, you'd know that Naruto-kun was _definitely _just here."

Anko rounded on the Uchiha teen and glared at him.

"I know that Naruto was here!" She bellowed. "But if that _thing _was up here too; and I'm certain that it was, then it could've taken Naruto with it when it left!"

Shisui cocked an eyebrow in interest.

"Is this the mysterious stalker that's been following Naruto-kun around?"

Anko blinked at Shisui's statement.

"Wait a minute!" Anko retorted. "You already _knew _about the shadow!?"

Shisui crossed his arms indignantly.

"Hey," he replied in a mock-hurt sounding tone. "I'm a member of ANBU, you know!"

Anko blinked again. She had forgotten that. She blushed and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"Sorry," she apologized, looking down at her feet. "I forgot that you were. But yeah: that chakra you sensed was the shadow that's been stalking Naruto. If it was here with him then I have no doubt that something terrible is about to happen!"

Shisui nodded, and closed his eyes. Anko remained silent, knowing that the boy was most likely trying to find Naruto's chakra signature. Yet another thing on Shisui's list of talents: he was a gifted sensor. After about a minute of standing completely motionless, his eyes snapped open and he turned to Anko with wide eyes.

"I've found Naruto-kun's chakra signature!" He exclaimed breathlessly. "He's moving due west from here, and he's probably about a mile and a half from us! "

Shisui's expression fell into a confused frown.

"Naruto-kun has so much chakra," he began slowly. "I can't believe I wasn't able to get a lock on it before..."

Anko shook her head at the Uchiha's statement.

"Don't beat yourself up about it," she replied. "One of the troubling things about the shadow is it's ability to mask chakra signatures. It was able to fool the Hokage into thinking that a shadow-double of me was the real thing until I intervened in the situation."

Shisui's eyes widened in alarm.

"Wait, what!?"

"Never mind," Anko snapped. "It's a long story. We need to go after Naruto right now!"

Shisui shook his head this time.

"You need to go after Naruto-kun," he said solemnly. "I need to tell Lord Hokage that the shadow may be somewhere within the village: he'll want to know."

Anko hesitated for a moment, and then slowly nodded in understanding.

"Alright," she said. "Let him know that I'll take Naruto back to the Uchiha district when I find him, okay?"

Shisui nodded, and true to his nickname: quickly vanished from sight, using a high-powered shunshin.

Anko watched the spot the young Uchiha teen had just vanished from for a moment, before she turned her gaze towards the direction that her student was heading. She jumped right off of the Hokage monument, using chakra to cushion her impact as she hit the nearest rooftop and began running westward. While she ran, she only had one thought bouncing around her head concerning her student:

'_Naruto, when I find you... you are in so much trouble!'_

* * *

><p>Sarutobi sighed as he looked out the window of his office. He had just dismissed Homura and Koharu, who demanded to know what his edict of martial law was being instated for. He did not blame them for demanding answers, but he didn't have time to bicker back and forth with his two old teammates. He was Hokage, and as such, he sometimes made decisions without consulting anyone about them beforehand, but only if it was of dire importance. This situation, most certainly was.<p>

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt the presence of a ninja appear in his office, and quickly turned around.

"Shisui," he said with a small amount of surprise in his voice. "What are you doing here? Did you find Naruto-kun?"

Shisui nodded.

"I sensed out his chakra signature and pointed Anko-san in the direction Naruto-kun was heading..."

Sarutobi's eyes narrowed.

"That's all well and good, my boy," Sarutobi replied. "But, if that's the case: why aren't you with Anko-chan, then?"

Shisui's expression turned stony as he fixed his gaze on Sarutobi.

"I came here to inform you that the 'shadow' is here."

Sarutobi's eyes widened and then narrowed until they were slits.

"I thought as much," he said quietly. "Did you run into it? Does it have Naruto-kun?"

Shisui shook his head.

"To answer your first question: no sir, we did not," he explained. "And to answer your second one...well, I'm not sure if it does or not. Anko-san and I sensed it's presence on the Hokage Monument and went to investigate, but it's chakra signature had just vanished by the time we got to the top of the mountain. Naruto seemed to be moving by himself when I picked up his trail, so I assume the shadow went elsewhere..."

Sarutobi nodded gravely and then said:

"Thank you for informing me. Now, I want you to go meet up with Anko and find Naruto-kun. I have no doubt that she'll run into Root agents that are also searching for the boy, and regardless of her skill, it's always good to have back-up."

Shisui nodded and quickly vanished from the office.

Sarutobi sighed again as he resumed looking out the window at the illuminated lights of the village in the darkness.

He stretched and groaned when he felt one of his muscles twitch irritably from disuse.

"I'm getting too old for this shit."

* * *

><p>Sasame had taken a seat on the edge of Shin's bedside and watched as the boy continued to smile at her. After a while she began to feel irritated at the gesture.<p>

"What?!" She barked. "Why are you smiling at me!?"

Shin chuckled and then winced in pain, causing Sasame's anger to flush away at once.

"S-sorry," Shin replied, with a smaller smile now. "It's just, since Sai stopped coming to visit, I haven't had anyone drop by...I was beginning to think everyone had forgotten about me..."

Sasame's head perked up when she heard Sai's name. She scowled.

"I don't know why _anyone_ would want to see that jerk!" she snarled, crossing her arms.

Shin frowned slightly and slowly shook his head.

"Don't speak about him like that," Shin replied softly. "Sai's not a bad person...Then again, I haven't seen him for a while now. Is he doing alright?"

Sasame wanted to scream at Shin to let him know how foolish he was to care about Sai, but when she gazed at the boy, his eyes so full of concern, she caved.

"He's doing fine..." Sasame whispered. Then, letting her irritation at Sai get the best of her, she added: "You should know though: Sai is the one who got me thrown in here in the first place!"

Shin's eyes widened.

"Really?" He replied softly. "Why? What happened?"

Sasame groaned in exasperation. She didn't want to talk about how she was foolish enough to trust Sai to help her get the answers about Naruto that she wanted to know. She especially didn't want to tell the story to Shin, who seemed to hold the pale-skinned boy in high regard.

She glanced at Shin, who was watching her expectantly. She sighed and turned to face him.

"Alright," she began. "Here's what happened..."

Sasame went on to explain her whole story. Her father's death at the border between Rice and Fire country, her arrival in Konoha, her enrollment at the Academy, and meeting all of her friends there, to her current situation concerning Naruto.

When she finished her story, Shin was quiet for a while, and stared blankly at the ceiling, all hint of mirth and cheeriness gone from his face. The boy looked completely wrong without a smile on his face, unlike Sai who couldn't even conjure a genuine one. Sasame frowned as she watched him; he seemed so confused by what she had told him, especially concerning Sai.

Several moments later, Shin said:

"You know, Sai didn't used to be anything like that."

Sasame scoffed.

"I don't believe that!" She retorted. "There's no way Sai was ever someone who actually cared about his friends!"

Shin glared at Sasame when she finished her statement, causing her to flinch in alarm.

"Don't talk about Sai as if you know the real him!" Shin shot back. "I grew up with him! I know him better than-"

Shin's dialogue was abruptly cut off when he began to cough violently. Sasame made to move forward to help him, but Shin waved her off. Sasame was horrified when she saw blood on his hand when he finally stopped coughing.

"Are you okay?!" Sasame cried, rushing over to look at him. "I'm sorry: I shouldn't have said that!"

Shin smiled weakly.

"It's fine," he wheezed. "I just realized that I'd be mad too if Sai did what you just told me he did to you to me...so, don't apologize..."

Sasame looked down at the boy concernedly, and then felt a flush of anger rush through her. How could Danzo and the rest of Root simply leave Shin to suffer in this room all by himself? Did he even have a doctor that would check up on him?

"Shin-san," Sasame began quietly, causing the boy to look up at her. "Does anyone ever come in here to check up on you?"

Shin frowned as he shook his head.

"No," he replied glumly. "After the incident, a doctor would come in to check up on me once in a while, but one day, he just stopped coming. Sai was the only one who would sneak in here and talk to me...but eventually, he stopped coming too..."

Against her better judgment, Sasame placed a comforting hand over Shin's and gave it a squeeze. Shin seemed surprised at the gesture, but smiled and squeezed back.

"Well, I'm stuck in here with you for a while, I guess." Sasame replied jokingly, causing the boy to let out a quiet chuckle.

"That's true," he replied with a smile. "It's better than being alone..."

Sasame frowned at Shin's statement. What had the boy done to be tossed away so unceremoniously? Here he was, suffering from injuries Sasame couldn't even guess the severity of, and no one, not even a doctor came to see if he was alright! It was as if they wanted him to die...

"Hey, Shin-san," said Sasame quietly. "Since I answered your questions, do you think you can answer some of mine?"

Shin thought for a moment, and then nodded.

Sasame thought hard about what to ask the boy first. She wanted to know _how _he ended up in the state he was in, but she was also wondering why the boy seemed so fond of Sai. She wondered if all of it even mattered. If Naruto didn't come, what would Danzo end up doing with her? He obviously wouldn't allow her to leave: she knew exactly how to get in here, and could easily tell the Hokage where Danzo's base was.

Shaking her head of the thoughts, she turned to Shin and asked:

"Tell me your story."

Shin cocked his head to the side slightly.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

Sasame realized that she might have asked too vague a question.

"You know," she elucidated. "How did you get here? Why did you join Root, and when did you meet Sai?"

Shin frowned in confusion.

"That's a lot of questions, Sasame." He remarked.

Sasame rolled her eyes and simply replied:

"Just tell me about your life. All of it."

Shin seemed to hesitate, and glanced past her at the door.

"Don't worry," she assured him. "I'm not going anywhere."

Shin smiled and let out a soft laugh.

"You're right," he replied. "Alright, I'll tell you."

* * *

><p>Sasame adjusted her position on Shin's bed slightly so she could see him better and waited expectantly. Shin sighed deeply and then began to relay his story.<p>

"I don't remember my parents, or where I lived before I came here." He said flatly. Sasame was surprised at how little he seemed to care about never knowing his parents, but listened as he continued on.

"Lord Danzo took me in and began to train me to become a ninja. It was hard work, and painful. You see, Root ninja are trained to not have any emotions, so we can be efficient and logical, without personal feelings coming in-between us and whatever mission we're on."

Sasame frowned at Shin's explanation.

"If that's the case, then why do you still seem to have them?"

Shin's face darkened slightly.

"I said 'Root _ninja_' not recruits," he replied glumly. "I never made the cut to actually become one of Lord Danzo's Root operatives. And that hurt so bad. The man practically raised me, I wanted nothing more than to help him achieve whatever he hoped to accomplish to pay him back for taking me in when no one else did."

Sasame crossed her arms and shook her head.

"It sounds like Danzo just scoops orphans right off the streets and plants them into his little army," she said scathingly. "That's not right!"

Shin smirked.

"Oh? And what's the alternative?" He asked. "Leave us on the streets? In overcrowded orphanages? Lord Danzo's methods of recruitment may be underhanded, but at least he gives us a purpose!"

Sasame was at a loss for words. She had just met Danzo! The man was obviously twisted in his ideals of right and wrong! She was astounded that Shin was defending his actions.

Before she could interrupt to tell Shin this, the boy cut her off by continuing his tale.

"While I was training here, I met Sai," Shin said, and a smile crept onto his face when he said Sai's name. "I thought he was a real dork at first. All he ever did was sit in the corner after training was over and draw in this little book he always carried around."

Sasame cocked an eyebrow in confusion. She had no idea that Sai could draw.

"Was he any good?" Sasame asked curiously. Shin laughed slightly at her question, causing her to look at him in bewilderment.

"It's funny you should ask that," Shin replied, still laughing slightly. "I asked myself the same question! That's how we first started talking to each other. I went over to see what he was drawing, and I was shocked to see that he had drawn a perfect portrait of the room and everyone in it from his view point! Like a photo!"

Sasame's eyes widened. She found it hard to believe that Sai could do anything like that. She wondered briefly why he had never done any drawing at the Academy.

"I told him I liked his drawing, and we started hanging out together after training," Shin continued. "A few weeks later, Lord Danzo paired each of us up with a partner to focus on teamwork and cooperation. I got paired with Sai, and we started to spend almost every hour of everyday with each other. Those were good times."

Shin smiled at the memory and Sasame couldn't help but be astonished by his story so far. Her brow furrowed after a moment, when a thought popped into her head.

"Obviously, they didn't last, so what happened?"

Shin's face fell, and he looked down at his hands that were resting on top of his blankets.

"Well," he began with a heavy sigh. "There was a reason why Lord Danzo put all of the recruits into pairs...There was a final test to see if we were worthy of becoming Root ninja officially."

Shin was silent for a long time after he finished, prompting Sasame to ask:

"I assume the test wasn't very pleasant?"

Shin laughed humorlessly. When he looked up at Sasame, she recoiled slightly when she saw how dead his eyes seemed.

"Yeah, you could say that," he said flatly. "You see, the test was designed to effectively wipe away any attachments we might have formed, any bonds. Even if the other recruits didn't become best friends like Sai and I did, they still were fond of each other in their own way. We ate, slept, worked, trained, and spent our free time with our partner. Lord Danzo said that we needed to know each other inside and out, so that we could work together at peak efficiency..."

Shin scrunched up his blanket as he clenched his fingers into fists. He began to shake, and his face showed a mixture of outrage and complete sorrow. Sasame had the distinct feeling she didn't want to know what this 'final test' consisted of, but Shin continued before she could ask him to stop.

"The 'final test'," Shin growled. "Was to kill your partner! It was meant to kill our emotions! My best friend! I'd even go as far to call Sai my brother!"

Sasame gasped in horror. How could Danzo create such a horrific test!? And the sheer fact that the test was meant to purge the cadets of all emotions was sickening to her! People needed emotions and feelings! It was what, in a nutshell, _made _them human in the first place!

Shin continued to grit his teeth in anger as he slowly continued on with his story.

"Sai and I didn't want to do the test when Lord Danzo told us what it consisted of. But you can't just say no. There's no such thing as leaving Root. See?"

Shin stuck out his tongue, and Sasame observed a strange black marking that covered the surface of it.

"What is that?" She asked quietly.

"It's a special seal," Shin answered. "Lord Danzo brands all Root ninja and recruits with one. It effectively will stop us from ever talking about Root or Lord Danzo if we are captured, or interrogated. The only exception to the rule is if we are in Root Headquarters, where we can openly discuss things, as long as Lord Danzo is in the vicinity at the same time we are. Because you said he captured you, and I haven't died yet, he must still be in the HQ."

Sasame gasped again.

"It..it will k-kill you!?" She breathed in horror.

Shin nodded gravely.

"It's a fail-safe to keep Lord Danzo's secrets out of the hands of his enemies. We'll die if the seal isn't removed by someone who is a Seal Master, or Lord Danzo. It can't even be tampered with by anyone under that level. Otherwise, we'll suffocate..."

Sasame shook her head slowly in shock. She couldn't believe the lengths Danzo went to make sure his subjects remained in his grasp. To place a seal upon someone with such a price: it was deplorable on the highest level.

Shin seemed to read Sasame's mind because he nodded glumly.

"So you see, Sai and I realized that we'd never be able to escape," he sighed. "Our only other option was to fight each other. We devised a plan to try and fool Lord Danzo into thinking that I wasn't able to fight on the day we were scheduled to take the test, but..."

Sasame was silent as Shin took a breath and then continued.

"But, Lord Danzo saw right through us! He had both of us dragged to the arena in the HQ and forced us to fight, or he swore to kill both of us right on the spot. We...we did. It was an even match, but I eventually was able to get Sai in a situation where I could've killed him..."

Sasame's eyes widened.

"So, what happened?" She breathed, in almost a whisper.

Shin glanced at her, his eyes full of sorrow.

"I...I hesitated when Lord Danzo told me to strike the killing blow..." He whispered. "He...he was outraged. He declared Sai the winner, and then had the entirety of Root make a lesson out of me. They beat me to an inch of my life until Lord Danzo ordered them to stop. He cast me in here, and told me that I would serve as an example to all the other recruits to show that weakness is not tolerable for a shinobi of Root. All because I didn't want to kill Sai! Is that so wrong!?"

Sasame felt rage build up within her. Danzo had to be stopped! His methods were cruel and completely inhumane! If the Hokage ever found out about what Danzo was doing...

She sighed. He wouldn't. She got the feeling that Danzo was very good at covering his tracks. The seal on Shin's tongue was the proof of that. The base was hidden, so there was no way anyone would ever stumble upon it by accident and find out what was happening down here. The thought made her stomach twist in outrage. She swore if she ever got out of this horrible place, she'd tell the Hokage everything that Danzo had done.

She looked at Shin, who sat dejectedly in his bed, his expression marred with anger and sadness. She silently swore that she'd get him out of here too. Shin needed real medical treatment. Beyond that, the boy needed to be as far from this place as possible. He deserved it. She cursed when another thought popped up in her head that she had denied purchase in her brain when it first surfaced:

Sai deserved freedom too.

What if everything the pale-skinned boy had done was to simply not end up like his best friend? What if Danzo had threatened Sai that if he didn't do what was asked of him he'd be killed?

Sasame felt hot tears begin to run down her face. She didn't understand why Shin and Sai had to go through so much suffering simply because they did what any _sane _person would do in their situation. Sai wasn't a monster, nor was Shin, nor were any of the Root agents that she had encountered. They were the result of one man's twisted ideals! And that man had to be stopped. At all costs.

Shin looked up at Sasame and smiled sadly.

"Now you know the whole story," he said quietly. "Do you still hate Sai for what he's done? Do you understand why I said what I did about him?"

Sasame, in spite of her situation, smiled back.

"I completely understand, Shin-san," she answered. "And that's why..."

Shin looked at her in confusion.

"That's why?" He prompted.

"That's why," Sasame continued. "Even if it kills me, I'm going to make sure you and Sai are finally freed from Root, and Danzo!"

* * *

><p>When Naruto arrived in the forest behind the orphanage the shadow had directed him to, he paused, apprehensive of what he was going to do. Impulsive he was, but he wasn't someone who had a death-wish. He was well-aware he was in over his head, but Sasame and Sai needed him! There wasn't time to go to the Old Man and tell him what was going on, right? What if Danzo planned on hurting them? Or worse?<p>

Naruto shook his head. He couldn't think about that. He slapped his cheeks a few times to focus, and then focused his gaze on the forest in front of him.

Slowly, he took one step towards it, and then another. Soon after, he was walking through the dense underbrush and darkness of the woods he had explored while he still was at the orphanage. It seemed so long ago since he had prowled through this place! He was amazed that his feet seemed to know where to go, simply based on instinct! He continued walking, careful to stop every so often and listen to his surroundings to make sure he wasn't about to be attacked. While the shadow didn't lie when he told him that his friends were in danger, Naruto had no doubt that the masked figure was surely leading him into a trap of some kind. It seemed way too convenient that it would just show up where he was and simply give him free information. Naruto knew that there had to be a catch; but what the catch really was: Naruto hadn't a clue.

* * *

><p>Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the silhouette of the giant tree he had sat under years ago came into view.<p>

Upon stepping into the clearing the colossal tree, Naruto was captivated by how the tree still seemed just as majestic and titanic as it did years ago.

Making sure to be aware of his surroundings, Naruto crept towards the trunk of the tree and felt around in the darkness until he came across the large covering of moss the shadow had told him about. After feeling along its surface for several minutes, Naruto finally found a man-sized indent in the moss, and pulled it aside. He gasped when he noticed that there was a large staircase that led downward behind it. He narrowed his eyes to try and get some sort of idea of how far the stairs went, but he couldn't see much of anything in the darkness of of the night.

Before he could step into the tunnel and proceed down the stairs, he heard a voice call out to him.

"Hello, Naruto-san."

* * *

><p>Naruto wheeled around and was shocked to see Sai standing behind him, his 'smile' fixed upon his pale face.<p>

"SAI!" Naruto yelped, and then quickly lowered his tone. "What!? But, how!? I thought you were captured!"

Sai continued to smile as he approached Naruto with a casual gait in his step.

"I'm completely fine, Naruto-san," he replied. "As you can clearly see. However, Sasame is still inside the base."

Naruto's eyes widened, and he quickly craned his head to look back at the patch of moss that concealed the hidden entrance to the base. He wheeled back around to look at Sai with an expression of outrage and incredulity.

"Why didn't you get her out!?" Naruto demanded angrily. "In fact, how did you get out so easily!?"

Sai shook his head at Naruto's question.

"I see you still don't understand, Naruto-san." Sai said flatly, causing Naruto's eyebrows to rise in confusion.

"What's there to understand, Sai!?" Naruto replied impatiently. "You know where Sasame-chan is, don't you? Lead me there, and we'll get her out together!"

Sai stared at Naruto blankly.

"You're really trusting, you know that?" Sai remarked, causing Naruto to blow out a sigh of irritation.

"I'm not actually," Naruto replied. "I'm only trusting of people who I consider my friends! Which includes you: so help me!"

Naruto turned his back on the pale-skinned boy and began to enter the concealed base's entrance again. He began to turn when he didn't hear Sai's footfall behind him, only to come face to face with the boy.

"Sai, what-!?"

Suddenly, Naruto felt an alarming amount of danger emanating from his friend, and stepped back slowly.

"No, Sai..." Naruto whispered, his eyes filling with sorrow as the terrible truth washed over him. "You're not..You can't be!"

Sai smiled and moved so quickly Naruto didn't have a chance to react. With a quick chop to the back of the blonde's neck, Sai effectively knocked Naruto out cold.

Sai frowned as he stood over Naruto's motionless body.

"I wish I could be your friend, Naruto-san," Sai whispered. "But to save Shin's, and my own life, I have to complete my mission."

**AN:**** And, that's a wrap (for now). Hopefully you guys liked Part II of the 'Dammit, Danzo! Arc'. Once again, make sure to let me know what you think so far. I'm really taking liberties with the story right now, but it will all make sense when I get to canon, and completely go nuts! Hahaha! Well, until next time, my friends: Afroman007, signing out! **


	37. Chapter 37

**AN:**** Hello readers! Here's Part III of the 'Dammit, Danzo! Arc'. As always, review! And enjoy the chapter! Part IV coming soon!**

**Chapter 37:**

Danzo sat idly in his private chambers ruminating on the news that was just brought to him by one of his agents no less than a few minutes ago. He had just been told several things that made him somewhat anxious; and this was a problem. It was a problem because: Danzo Shimura did not get anxious.

He grit his teeth in irritation as he thought about the recent news. The damn fool Hiruzen was on to him! Instating martial law in the village? Obviously the Hokage aimed to try and route him right into his hands. That was unfortunate for Hiruzen though, because he had no plans whatsoever to concede defeat! He just needed the last piece of his plan in place and he could begin its' final phase.

Naruto Uzumaki was that last piece. Danzo clenched his cane tightly in his hand in annoyance. He was baffled as to how the boy seemed to become a ghost all of a sudden! He had been sending out his agents to find and inform the boy that his friends were in danger, so that the boy (who was guided by a foolish notion that his friends were more important than his own well-being) would no doubt come charging into his base without thinking. From there, it would be easy enough to subdue the boy. For whatever reason however, none of his agents had seen the boy at all since he left for home with the Uchiha boy after the Academy. He couldn't have the two tailed back to their home; he knew that the Uchiha were wary of him, especially Itachi. Besides, that was what he used Sai for: to throw his enemies off the trail for awhile. It was of no consequence that Sai's loyalties to him have finally been uncovered, Danzo had planned for that to happen all along.

Danzo's thoughts were interrupted when he heard an urgent knock on his door.

"Enter." He commanded sharply. The door slowly slid open to reveal the very person he was just thinking about, who walked in silently and knelt before him.

Danzo raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"What news do you bring me, Sai? I pray for your sake it is good news." He spat.

Sai fixed his gaze on him, and Danzo was surprised to see that his threat didn't seem to shake the boy even in the slightest. He smirked.

_'Perhaps Sai is finally becoming the shinobi I intended him to be.' _

Sai was silent for several moments, staring at his master, before he lowered his head and began to relay his message.

"Lord Danzo," Sai began in an official tone. "I have good news. Uzumaki has recently entered the forest, I saw him with my own eyes."

Danzo's one visible eye narrowed at this development.

"And?" Danzo snarled. "You didn't think to bring him right to me!?"

Sai remained stoic, even in the presence of his master's obvious anger and replied:

"No, Lord Danzo. If I were to show myself to Uzumaki, he would become suspicious as to why I am not captured. But rest assured: he _is _going to come. I have reason to believe that the boy knows where our base is somehow..."

Danzo's narrowed eye narrowed further, until it was almost completely closed.

_'I bet it's that meddlesome 'shadow's' work that is the cause of this.' _The old war-hawk thought bitterly. _'Just what is it aiming for?'_

Danzo glanced down at Sai, who was still kneeling before him, and sighed irritably.

"Sai," he began in an authoritative tone. "I want you to take a squad of Root agents and capture Uzumaki now. I have waited long enough for him to take my bait, and we are running short on time before Hiruzen moves against us. I need the boy now! Understood?"

Sai looked up at the man, and Danzo was somewhat surprised to see no trace of hesitation in the pale-boy's eyes.

"I understand, Lord Danzo," he replied quietly. "I will leave right away."

Danzo nodded and dismissed the boy, who vanished from sight.

Once again left alone to his thoughts, Danzo made his way to a seat behind his desk and sat down. For some reason, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss. He dismissed the feeling as mere nervousness at the fact that Hiruzen was onto him. If Sai succeeded in getting Uzumaki to him in time, he need not worry about whatever move his old rival made against him. Sarutobi would never jeopardize the Jinchuuriki's safety. And if Danzo possessed the boy, the old Hokage would have to bow to whatever terms he demanded for the boy's return.

Danzo smirked as he thought about that last part.

"Too bad I won't be giving up Uzumaki once I have him in my grasp..." He whispered to himself. "Now, I just have to take care of the girl, and everything will be ready..."

* * *

><p>Sai made his way towards the barracks of the base before he suddenly changed directions. No one noticed of course; most Root operatives were secretive by nature, therefore, they had no more right to question Sai about what he was doing than Sai did to ask them.<p>

Sai passed by many operatives that gave a solemn nod to him as he passed as a greeting, and he returned the gesture. In truth: Sai felt absolutely nothing for his Root comrades, all except one. His black eyes narrowed as he approached his destination, only to see a guard posted right next to the entrance.

Upon Sai's approach, the guard turned to look at him inquiringly.

"Agent Sai," The Root guard said imperiously. "This area is off limits by order of Lord Danzo himself. What is your business here?"

Sai stared stoically at the guard before answering.

"I am here on Lord Danzo's orders," Sai lied. "I am to escort the girl to him."

Sai wasn't sure what effect his lie had on the guard because he was wearing a mask, but he assumed by the sudden straightening of the guard's posture that it had worked.

"Very well," the guard replied as he stepped away from the door. "Will you require any assistance in escorting the prisoner?"

Sai's stomach clenched when he heard the guard refer to Sasame as a 'prsioner'. That was not something he had anticipated. He had assumed Lord Danzo would only keep the girl until Naruto showed up. He mentally berated himself for the naive assumption. Of course Lord Danzo didn't plan to let Sasame go. She knew too much about his operations! He wouldn't try and recruit her either, simply because the girl was already set in her ways, and would take much too long to break. It would also be pointless because of the contingency plan Lord Danzo had recently informed his subordinates about earlier in the day. The thought of the plan gave Sai pause. He couldn't believe Lord Danzo thought his plan was the only option left to them when the Hokage finally found them. It was cowardly and underhanded, but Sai refused to be a part of it. He knew where his true loyalties lay.

He turned and looked at the guard and gave one of his 'false' smiles.

"There's no need for your help," Sai said casually. "But, since you've seen me here, I can't have you leave, so..."

The guard was a moment too late in realizing what Sai planned to do before it happened. With a quick draw of his tanto, Sai used the hilt of the blade to strike his fellow Root agent in the skull, hard, and sent him sprawling to the ground, unconscious. Sai quickly sheathed his tanto and grabbed the downed agent under both arms and hauled him towards a deserted hallway off to the side. He stashed the guard's body in the shadows of the hallway in such a way that one would have to actually walk down the hall a ways to come across him. Satisfied with his work, Sai quickly made his way back to the large iron door that imprisoned Sasame and hastily unlocked it. The door opened with a loud creak, making the pale-skinned boy wince in alarm. Scanning his surroundings quickly to make sure the sound did not alert any more Root operatives, Sai quickly stepped inside and was shocked at what he found inside.

* * *

><p>Shin had just finished telling Sasame a humorous anecdote about his time with Sai during training when he stopped laughing abruptly, and stared at the now-opening door with alarm. Sasame quickly mirrored Shin's action as she watched with baited breath to see who was entering the room.<p>

Her mind began to overflow with terrible thoughts. Had Danzo come to take care of her for good? She had come to the conclusion that her life was forfeit once the wicked man got his hands on Naruto. She thought she was prepared for when that would happen, and would be ready to try and make a break for it, but she had no idea that it was going to happen right now! She felt her heart begin to beat more rapidly as the door swung open fully, with a loud creaking sound.

Her eyes widened with surprise when she saw Sai in the doorway.

* * *

><p>Neither Sai nor Sasame said a word when he entered the room and made his way towards her. In fact, it was Shin who spoke up first.<p>

"Sai!" the silver-haired boy cried. "What are you doing here!?"

Sai said nothing as he arrived on the other side of Shin's bed and grasped his friend's hand.

"I came to warn both of you." Sai replied solemnly. His face fell into a frown, and Sasame was surprised when she saw that Sai was shaking slightly for reasons she didn't understand. "Lord Danzo's approaching his endgame. Naruto-san is in the forest, Sasame-san. I knocked him out and hid his body so Lord Danzo would have trouble finding him..."

Sasame gasped at the revelation, and then her eyes narrowed.

"But, if you're here," she began slowly. "How do we know if Danzo's captured Naruto-san yet or not?"

Sai glanced at her for several moments before he answered.

"Trust me," he replied. "We'll know if and when he obtains Naruto-san..."

Sasame frowned at the cryptic answer, but decided she had more pressing questions to ask.

"When you say that you knocked Naruto-san out," she said, with a tone of incredulity. "I have to ask: why? I thought that you had to complete your _mission _?"

Sai knew by the way the girl had stressed her last word that she was still resentful of the way he had tricked her. He sighed and bowed low to her, causing Sasame's eyes to widen in surprise.

"I'm really sorry, Sasame-san," Sai said sincerely. Sasame was shocked that she could actually feel the honesty in the boy's words as he spoke them! She had thought that Sai didn't have emotions or feelings! "But when I was referring to 'my mission' I meant _'MY mission' _not Lord Danzo's..."

Sasame took a moment to get over her shock of seeing Sai actually express an honest emotion, and then asked:

"Then what _is _your real mission?"

Sai looked at Shin and smiled. An actual smile. Sasame's jaw dropped.

"Sai," she breathed. "You...you actually _do _have-?!"

"Emotions?" Sai answered casually, crossing his arms. "Yes, Sasame-san, I do. I had to work very hard to learn a method to conceal them from everyone. I became so used to doing it that I was beginning to fear that I might mute them permanently. Luckily, I forced myself to remember why it was so important that I keep them..."

His gaze went back to Shin who grinned at him, causing Sai to begin to shake again. This time, Sasame understood _why _Sai was shaking. He was nervous to face Shin!

"S-Shin," he stammered, his voice full of sorrow. "I-I'm so sorry I stopped coming by to see you...When Lord Danzo finally gave me a mission...I knew it was our only chance..."

Shin was silent, although he still smiled, before he nodded.

"I understand, Sai." He replied, before his face morphed into a pouty expression. "Although I am upset that you did stop coming by! Do you know how boring it was in here until Sasame-san got thrown in with me!?"

Sai actually chuckled in response.

"I can imagine it was pretty boring!" He laughed.

* * *

><p>Sasame watched the two boy's exchange in stunned silence. Her mind couldn't process the idea that Sai had fooled everyone, including Danzo, into thinking that he was nothing but a manipulative, emotionless seven-year-old boy! But her eyes and ears were telling her differently. Sai was laughing and joking, even smiling like he had done it his entire life! Just the sight of a genuine smile on the pale-skinned boy's caused her whole brain to short-circuit! But something Sai had just said caught her attention.<p>

"Sai." Sasame interjected, causing both boys to stop laughing and to look at her. "What did you mean by this being 'your only chance'?"

Sai's face fell as he looked at Shin, and then back at Sasame. He sat down on Shin's bed and sighed.

"When Lord Danzo gave me the mission to observe Naruto-san at the Academy..."

Sasame's eyes widened.

"Wait! That was why you came to the Academy!? Just to watch Naruto-san!? Why!?"

Shin rolled his eyes at Sasame's reaction.

"If you'd just _listen _Sasame-san, you'll find out," he countered. "Besides," Shin turned to look at Sai. "I thought after my incident, you said we'd have to give up on that idea!"

Sai nodded glumly and continued.

"I only said that Shin because I didn't want to get your hopes up. If, for whatever reason, I failed in my mission, which I came close to doing, Lord Danzo had threatened to _replace_ me with another operative."

Shin's eyes widened in alarm.

"But, that would mean-!"

Sai nodded darkly.

"Yes," Sai replied quietly. "I would be killed to erase any connection the village could make between Lord Danzo and me..."

Shin lowered his head, while Sasame pulled at her hair in agitation.

"Why is Danzo doing this!?" She cried. "Doesn't he understand what he's doing to you guys!? You shouldn't have to go through this! No one should have to!"

Sai smiled sadly at Sasame.

"I'm glad that you share our sentiments, Sasame-san," he began. "But, this _is _happening. There's no changing it. So we have to try our best to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Shin's head shot up and he appraised Sai suspiciously.

"Sai," he whispered. "You can't mean..."

Sai said nothing in response, instead opting to continue explaining his plan to the two of them.

"Anyways: when I got the chance to leave headquarters and get away from Lord Danzo constantly monitoring me, I discovered that I had been given a golden opportunity. I made it a point to mess up during the course of my mission and get certain people suspicious of me. Most notably, Naruto-san's teacher: Anko Mitarashi, and his best friend: Sasuke Uchiha..."

Sasame narrowed her eyes at the boy.

"Why them?" She asked curiously. Sai glanced at her and replied:

"I needed the two people who were closest to Naruto-san and had his trust completely. By tipping them off that something was amiss concerning me, I knew that at least one of them would try and figure out what I was doing at the Academy, and why I was so interested in Naruto-san."

Sasame couldn't believe that a mere seven-year-old had managed to come up with such a detailed plan of action. It was extraordinary. Then again, Sasame had heard that Sasuke's older brother Itachi was similar to Sai in that respect at their age. Perhaps Sai was a prodigy too?

"It turned out that Mitarashi-san was the first person to take the bait, although I continued to egg Sasuke-san on in order to make him even more distrustful of me. I was hoping originally that Sasuke-san would go to Naruto-san with his doubts about me, and convince him that something was amiss..."

Sai sighed dejectedly before he continued.

"But Naruto-san is just too trusting for his own good. I found that out right before I had to knock him out to keep him from falling into Lord Danzo's trap. He trusts his friends completely; his loyalty to them is unlike anything I've ever seen before..."

Sasame was slowly beginning to piece together Sai's actions throughout their time together in the Academy, but she still didn't understand what his goal was.

"Why did you have to trick me then!?" She interjected angrily. "If you would've told me what was going on, I could've helped you and Shin! I definitely would've!"

Sai smiled at Sasame again, but shook his head.

"I couldn't tell _anyone _about my plan, not even Shin." Sai bowed his head in apology to his friend, who simply waved off the apology with a smile of understanding. Sai smiled at him gratefully, and then turned back to Sasame.

"And no offense Sasame-san," Sai continued. "But you're just a first-year Academy student. There wouldn't have been any way that you could've helped. To answer your question though, I had to follow Lord Danzo's orders to the letter to make sure he never suspected me of going behind his back. He was very specific when he ordered me to capture _you _."

Sasame shook her head in confusion.

"But why me?" She muttered. "Why not Mikoto-san, or Sasuke-san?"

Shin shook his head again at her question.

"Once again, no offense Sasame-san," Sai replied. "But, Mikoto Uchiha is a fully trained jounin of the village, even though she's no longer on active duty. I'm not nearly strong enough to subdue her and then use her as a hostage. Not to mention, I doubt anyone, except perhaps Lord Danzo, would have the power to keep her imprisoned. She is truly powerful. As for Sasuke-san, he's an Uchiha. In fact, he's the brother of the current clan head! If I were to take Sasuke-san, the whole Uchiha clan would come after Lord Danzo. And knowing their reputation, they would've snuffed us out quite easily. That's why Lord Danzo was so adamant about wiping the whole clan out when they planned a coup: he fears their power. I suppose in retrospect, they'd do the same thing if Mikoto-san was taken, but I have no doubt she would've freed herself before they even noticed she was missing..."

Sasame cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"You still haven't explained why it had to be me, though..."

Sai frowned as he looked down at his hands.

"It had to be you, Lord Danzo said, because you are an orphan and have no real bonds with anyone but Naruto-san. In fact, that was the biggest reason why. Next to Sasuke-san, Naruto-san views you as his closest friend; I'm sure of it. Because Lord Danzo could capture you, without fear of reprisal from anyone in the village, he ordered me to trick you into coming here. And for that I am truly sorry."

Sasame felt like someone had just stabbed her. The only reason she was taken was because she had no one who would care enough to notice that she was gone? Surely that wasn't true! What about Anko-chan, or the Hokage? They must've noticed something happened to her, right?

The more she thought about it though, the less hope she seemed to have. If no one had come for her yet, then: would they?

Sai's frown deepened when he noticed Sasame's forlorn expression. He got up from Shin's bed and walked over to her, placing a consoling hand on her shoulder.

"For what it's worth Sasame-san," Sai said kindly. "I care about you. I wanted to find another way; I really did. But Lord Danzo's orders were absolute. It made it easier that we both had something in common: I had to observe Naruto-san, and you wanted to find out more about him."

Sasame nodded sadly, and felt a few tears trickle down her cheeks. Sai sighed as he watched her, but continued to relay his story.

"As I said before," he said quietly. "I'm truly sorry I had to trick you like that, Sasame-san, but if my plan succeeds, hopefully we can all get out of here alive."

Sasame looked up at Sai with bloodshot eyes.

"What do you mean 'hopefully'?" She asked bewilderingly.

Sai sighed again and ran a hand through his hair.

"Honestly, I was hoping that the Hokage would have moved on Lord Danzo by now. I was really counting on Mitarashi-san to tip him off about me and how I was shadowing Naruto-san, but since no one was able to oust me while I was still in the Academy I'm beginning to think that he doesn't know about my mission, nor your kidnapping yet."

Sasame sniffled and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hands.

"B-but, what about N-Naruto-san? He knows!" She reasoned. "Surely, he'll tell someone!"

Sai frowned as he crossed his arms.

"I hope you're right, Sasame-san," Sai said nervously. "But, knowing Naruto-san, I fear he'll simply charge in here to rescue you without thinking it through properly. As loyal as he his, he's pretty stupid."

Sasame scowled at Sai, who simply shrugged. Then, her face softened. Sai _was_ right: Naruto could be pretty clueless sometimes.

"Okay, say the Hokage comes," Shin interjected, causing Sai and Sasame to look at him. "And they raid the base. How do you plan to get all of us out? Especially me: I know for a fact you can't carry me out, and I'm not able to walk on my own."

Sai's face tightened after Shin's statement.

"I-I'll think of way, Shin," he said determinedly. "I'm not going to leave you here!"

Shin raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"I never said you would, Sai!" Shin countered. "But, I'm just stating a fact!"

Sai breathed out a sigh of irritation and then strode towards the door. He poked his head out cautiously and scanned the surrounding area. After a few seconds, he turned around and came back to where Shin and Sasame were.

"Listen," Sai said urgently. "I don't have much time before Lord Danzo starts to get suspicious."

Sai turned his gaze on Sasame, making her straighten somewhat.

"Sasame," he said solemnly. "I need you to try and get Shin out of here. If you go down the hallway just left of this room, there's another long hallway that will eventually let out in the central area of the base. There's normally guards there, but I'm going to convince them that I need their help to round up Naruto-san outside. That should give you a chance to reach the surface with Shin."

Sasame glanced at Shin, and then Sai, before she lowered her head dejectedly.

"Sai-san," she said morosely. "I'm afraid I'm not strong enough to carry Shin-san out of here..."

Shin nodded his agreement with Sasame's statement.

"Yeah, Sai," Shin added. "Plus, even if Sasame-san _could _carry me, I'd only slow us down..."

Sai clenched his fists and began to frantically scan the room, looking for anything that could possibly help. His eyes widened when he scanned the corner closest to Shin's bed on the right side, and he smiled.

"That will work!" He exclaimed as he made his way over to the corner.

Sasame and Shin watched as Sai pulled out what looked like a folded up bicycle and placed it on the ground. He pulled on the wheel, and the whole thing stretched out until it became...

"A wheelchair!" Sasame exclaimed in delight. "That's perfect, Sai-san!"

Sai smiled at her, and then turned to Shin.

"Shin, I know that your injuries will probably make travel incredibly difficult for you, but I need you to hang in there! Once this whole thing is over, we can get you proper medical attention. Also, you know the base as well as I do. Help Sasame reach the surface."

Shin smiled and gave Sai a nod.

" I can do that! If it means being free of this place, I don't care how much pain I'll be in on the way!"

Sai frowned at his statement, but nodded nonetheless before turning back to Sasame.

"Sasame," he continued. "I'll try and lead my squad away from Naruto-san, but if you happen to run into anyone from Konoha, make sure you tell them how to get into the base. I have no doubt the ANBU are searching right now for any trace of me, and I plan to run right into them if I can."

Sasame's eyes widened.

"But Sai!" She exclaimed in horror. "They'll consider you a traitor to Konoha, and you can't be interrogated! If they try that then...!"

Sai nodded gravely but shook his head.

"I'm not going to let myself get captured, don't worry," He said reassuringly with a smirk. "Getting you and Shin out is only the second-to-last part of my plan. I have to make sure I carry out the final phase, or else your escape means nothing."

Sasame narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the boy.

"What is the last part of your plan, then?" She inquired.

Sai began to answer when there was a distant sound of footsteps coming from a ways down the hall. Sai tensed and then ran over to Shin.

"Sasame-san, we're out of time!" He exclaimed. "Help me move Shin, now!"

Sasame hesitated only for a moment, before she ran over to Shin's other side and helped move the boy's blankets from his body so they could lift him into the wheelchair.

When Sasame saw what Shin's lower body looked like under the sheets, she nearly gagged in revulsion.

The boy had cuts and gashes all along his legs that looked like they were hastily bandaged, and hadn't been changed in ages. His left foot was so discolored from the rest of his body that Sasame was certain that the boy couldn't even feel it anymore. His entire right leg seemed to be bent at an awkward angle, signifying that it was broken. Sasame's heart sank when she realized that was only the extent of the boy's _external _injuries. She didn't even want to think about what trauma he had sustained internally.

With a great heave of effort, and a cry of pain from Shin, Sai and Sasame were able to move the boy into the wheelchair. Sasame had to do everything in her power to keep herself from bursting into tears when she watched as Shin's face contorted in pain, and his breaths came in quick shallow gulps.

Sai clenched his fists angrily as he examined the full extent of what was done to his friend, until all of them were able to hear the sound of footsteps coming closer. He turned to Sasame, who was now holding on to the handles of Shin's wheelchair and bellowed:

"GO, NOW!"

Sasame didn't need to be told twice. As quickly as she could, she pushed Shin out of the doorway and down the hallway Sai had indicated, leaving Sai alone to deal with whatever, or _whoever _was going to arrive to discover that Lord Danzo's prisoner and his 'example of a poor Root shinobi' were gone.

* * *

><p>Naruto awoke several minutes later, no doubt because of his regenerative abilities Kurama gave him (even though Naruto was not aware of them yet). He rubbed his neck where Sai had chopped him, and in doing so, the memories of what had recently transpired between the pale-skinned boy and himself came rushing back to him.<p>

He grit his teeth in a mixture of sorrow and anger. He had thought that Sai was his friend! How could he have been so naive? Naruto lowered his gaze at the ground when he thought about it. He had never felt so betrayed in his life! He simply couldn't believe that Sai had been lying to him the whole time and he never knew.

_'Did you know about Sai, Kurama?' _Naruto mentally asked his tenant.

The great fox was silent for several moments before he replied:

**"Did I know that he was a danger to you? No." **Kurama replied gruffly. **"However, I did get the impression that he was hiding something from you, and that his true intentions were clouded. The pale meat-sack is very good at concealing his emotions, so I wasn't able to be sure..."**

Naruto sighed as he got shakily to his feet. He would have to think about Sai's deception later. Right now, he needed to rescue Sasame.

* * *

><p>He glanced around at his surroundings and was baffled when he didn't recognize where he was. He knew he was still in the forest, but that didn't help him. He needed to find his way back to the giant tree that concealed the entrance to Danzo's base! He growled in irritation as he began walking through the dark woods, trying to at least find something that looked familiar to guide him.<p>

"Dammit, where the hell am I!?" Naruto hissed as he pushed his way through a particularly knotted bush. He quickly stopped however, when he heard a familiar voice.

"Follow me," came the voice of Sai.

Naruto quickly ducked and cautiously peered over the top of the foliage to see Sai, standing with a group of five white-masked shinobi. Naruto was briefly reminded of his shadow and had to resist the urge to shudder. He focused back on Sai again to hear what the boy was saying.

"Uzumaki is in this direction, that's where I put his body after knocking him out," Sai explained to the group. "We should retrieve him before the ANBU do, otherwise Lord Danzo's plans are forfeit."

The group nodded collectively and sprinted after Sai, who led them in the opposite direction of Naruto, who watched on, mouth agape.

He slowly glanced back in the direction he had just come from, and scratched his head. Was Sai confused?

_'Why did he lie?' _Naruto thought. _'If he's the one who dumped my body back there, then shouldn't he know exactly where to find me?'_

Kurama huffed.

**"Perhaps the pale meat-sack is trying to help you?" **The fox suggested.

Naruto scowled.

_'Then why did he knock me out in the first place!?' _

**"I don't know brat!" **Kurama barked in reply. **"If I had to guess, I think that those other shinobi with him are looking for you. Maybe he's leading them away so you can get back to the base without getting caught?"**

Naruto crossed his arms in thought. If that was the case, then why didn't Sai just tell him what was going on? He couldn't decide if Sai was his enemy or his friend now, and the mental conflict was driving him insane!

Seeing nothing else for it, Naruto slowly and quietly pulled himself out of the bush, and stepped into the clearing the masked shinobi and Sai had been standing in only moments ago.

"Now, which direction do I go in now..." Naruto muttered as he scanned the surrounding forest. To his left, he could barely make out a large shadow in the distance, that was in fact, the giant tree. He grinned in triumph.

_'Bingo!'_

* * *

><p>Anko made her way through the dark forest as quickly as she could. She was now joined by a squad of ANBU she had met just on the inside perimeter of the forest that had tried to stop her when she entered. After explaining that she was on a mission to find Naruto from the Hokage himself, the ANBU in charge of the squad had decided to assist her, since their missions were both in the same place.<p>

Anko was grateful for the back-up. She had no doubt that if she was looking for Naruto, Danzo would have his operatives searching for the boy as well. It would not do to run into a squad of Root operatives by herself, but with the ANBU squad as her back-up, she needn't worry so much.

The group continued to travel in silence until Anko heard a female ANBU who was behind her in their formation speak up.

"I can sense a squad of at least six coming this direction, taicho (Captain). They're not one of ours. Orders?"

The ANBU in charge, Tora (Tiger) turned to look at her.

"We only engage, if they do," he answered. "Otherwise, we steer clear of them, and complete our mission."

Anko clicked her tongue impatiently at Tora's order.

"You do realize that it's most likely Danzo's troops heading right for us?" She asked the ANBU. "And if it is, then we both would gain from taking them out. It will make both of our objectives easier if we don't have to worry about them reporting back to Danzo!"

Tora was silent for a moment before he crossed his arms and replied:

"You said 'it's most likely' their Danzo's. Unless you're positive that they are..."

Anko smacked her forehead in annoyance.

"Who the hell else could they be!?" She roared, causing Tora to falter somewhat. "If their not ANBU, who else stands to gain from trying to find Naruto _except _Danzo!?"

Tora shifted uncomfortably on his feet before he sighed and raised a hand, signaling his squad to fall into a battle-ready formation.

"We have the element of surprise if they don't have a sensor among them," Tora informed Anko and his squad. "When I give the signal, launch your strongest jutsu. I want this done quickly and efficiently people! Understood?"

There was a quick chorus of 'Yes Sir!' before the ANBU fell into ready stances. Anko narrowed her eyes at the forest before them and whoever was approaching. Boy, weren't they in for a surprise.

She smiled with sadistic glee. If she couldn't personally kick Danzo's in the pants, then she'd settle for the next best thing!

* * *

><p>Sai smirked as he sensed a squad of ANBU dead ahead. He was glad he had the foresight to not include any other sensors in his squad when he gathered them at the barracks. That would make this easier. He felt bad that the other Root shinobi would most likely lose their lives in the ensuing combat, but they had made their choice. Every single member of his squad was completely loyal to Danzo and would die for him and his cause.<p>

_'Well,' _Sai thought grimly. _'It looks like their loyalty is about to be put to the test...'_

* * *

><p>It all happened so fast, that Sai barely had time to react. As he watched giant earth dragons erupt from the ground, giant fireballs come blazing towards them from seemingly out of thin air, and torrents of high-pressured water come flying at them, Sai had to admit that the ANBU really were the best of the best Konoha had to offer.<p>

His comrades didn't even _get _a chance to react. Four of them perished in the ensuing jutsu that were thrown at them, and the last surviving one withdrew his tanto, and slit his own throat; knowing that the ANBU would simply capture and interrogate him. Sai knew that the suicide was not an act of cowardice: it was the Root shinobi choosing his own way to die. Sai had seen many people die, but the sight of the life leaving someone was still something that caused him no small amount of terror.

Turning back to the ANBU, he realized that they were now getting ready to attack him. Knowing that he would die if he tried to resist, he simply put his hands up and dropped to his knees on the tree branch he was perched upon.

Not a second later, an ANBU in a lion mask shunshined up to his location, grabbed him, and tossed him roughly to the forest floor, right in the midst of the rest of the ANBU squad.

Sai rubbed his scratched arms and legs and peered around the circle at the ANBU squad, until he recognized one familiar face. He smiled when he made eye contact with them.

"Why hello, Mitarashi-san," he said genially. "How are yo-"

He was abruptly cut off when the woman grasped him by the neck and slammed him into a nearby tree trunk.

* * *

><p>Anko was beyond pissed.<p>

In her hand, pinned to a tree, was the sneaky little bastard that had been following her student around ever since he first arrived at the Academy, no doubt on Danzo's orders. The fact that before she pinned him to the tree, the boy had the gall to address her casually, like they were friends, only pissed her off further.

Summoning a snake from her other sleeve, she held the snake up to the pale-skinned boy's face, allowing it's jaws to open wide at him, showing off it's pointed fangs.

To the boy's credit, he didn't show any signs of fear. Anko could respect that normally, but in this instance, it only added to her pissed-off meter.

"WHERE IS NARUTO!?" She bellowed in the boy's face. "DID YOU ALREADY GIVE HIM UP TO YOUR MASTER!? CAUSE' IF YOU DID, I SWEAR TO KAMI: YOU ARE SO DEAD!"

Sai struggled to speak, but Anko's grip on his windpipe prevented it. Hesitantly, Anko dropped the boy to the ground, where he began to cough violently, but she also continued to level her snake summon so it was even with the boy's face.

"And don't you _dare _lie to me, kid." Anko hissed in a dangerous tone.

Sai nodded and was surprised when he felt a bead of sweat run down his cheek. Perhaps he had miscalculated when he chose to reveal himself to Anko back then. The woman was exceptionally terrifying!

"Naruto-san i-isn't c-captured..." Sai choked out. "H-he's still in the forest..."

Anko narrowed her eyes at the boy's response.

"And I should believe you, why?" She snarled. "What proof do you have?"

Sai explained his encounter with Naruto earlier, but withheld his plans concerning Lord Danzo from the group. His reasons were two-fold: One, it would ruin everything if they found out what his plans were, and two: he didn't really feel like having the seal suffocate him if they tried to coax information about Danzo out of him.

When the boy finished, Anko continued to glare at the boy coldly for several moments, before she dismissed her snake summon.

"Anko-san, what are you doing?!" Cried Tora, who stepped forward. Anko rounded on him.

"This brat knows where Naruto is," she snapped back in reply. "He's going to lead me to him. Your assistance was appreciated, but this is were our missions diverge."

Tora shook his head and pointed at Sai, who was rubbing his neck where Anko had grabbed him.

"Actually, you're wrong Anko-san," Tora replied. "Our exact mission parameters were to detain this boy and find the girl he had kidnapped."

Sai knew that they meant Sasame, and was a little irritated that they thought she didn't come with him of her own free-will, but he remained silent.

Anko growled in annoyance.

"Then you can go back to the Hokage and tell him you _found_ the boy," Anko said irritably. "BUT: the brat stays with me. I need him to complete my own mission. You can tell the Hokage that; he'll understand."

Tora seemed to hesitate at Anko's statement, but after several moments he nodded slowly in understanding. He turned to his squad and signaled with a hand-sign to disperse. The whole squad vanished in the direction of the village, leaving only Tora behind. He then turned to Anko and crossed his arms.

"I hope you know what you're doing Anko-san," he warned. "I really don't feel comfortable with you traveling with a traitor..."

Anko chuckled at Tora's warning.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" She snickered. "I'm Anko Mitarashi, the Snake Mistress! I'm the student of the biggest traitor in Konoha! I know how to deal with their kind!"

Tora chuckled and nodded.

"I suppose that's true, Anko-san," he replied. "Just be careful."

Anko nodded and Tora vanished as well, no doubt following after his troops.

* * *

><p>When Tora had vanished, Anko turned her gaze back on Sai, who was regarding her as if he wanted to ask something.<p>

"WHAT, BRAT!?" She snarled venomously. "I didn't dismiss the ANBU to help you out, you know! I'm more than capable of ending your life by myself if you give me a reason to!"

Sai frowned at her words, but nodded in understanding.

"I understand, Mitarashi-san," he replied. "but the truth is..."

Anko narrowed her eyes at the boy, and was surprised when she saw a multitude of things flicker through the boy's dark eyes. Desperation, hope, sadness, and determination.

Sai took a deep breath and looked down briefly, before he fixed his gaze on Anko again and said:

"I need your help."

**AN:**** I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! What does Sai need ANko's help for? Will Sasame and Shin make it out in time? Will Naruto be stopped before he heads into the base? Will Danzo ever stop being a pain in the ass?! Who knows: (well, I do) You'll have to find out next time! Afroman007, signing out!**


	38. Chapter 38

**AN:**** Hello, readers! Just because I love you guys so much, I'm going to post Chapters 38 & 39, tonight! I hope you guys enjoy them! I won't place a pre-chapter Author's note for the next chapter, but there will be one afterwards. As always, let me know what you think! Enjoy Part IV of the 'Dammit, Danzo! Arc'...!**

**Chapter 38:**

Anko followed after Sai as the boy led her through the forest towards the direction of the Root headquarters. The boy had told her that Naruto was most likely heading there, so he could rescue Sasame. Sai had also told Anko that Naruto's plan would end in disaster, since he already helped Sasame and a close friend of his find a means to escape the base while Naruto was out cold. In other words, if Anko and Sai didn't stop Naruto right now: Danzo would finally get what he wanted.

Anko grit her teeth in irritation as she observed the pale-skinned boy in front of her. She had been suspicious of Sai since the first time she saw him, but now, she wasn't sure what to feel about him. She hated the boy for the fact that he only caused Naruto's life to be more difficult, but also knew that her student valued Sai as a trusted friend. She would have to talk to the blonde-haired boy about not trusting others so easily. That is: if the boy didn't already learn that lesson after being knocked unconscious by his 'so-called friend'. Normally, Anko would delight in telling her gullible student that 'she told him so' but in this instance, she felt nothing but sadness for him. Naruto had struggled so much just to keep the few friends he had; only to be turned on by one of them. Anko couldn't even imagine the turmoil the boy must be feeling. Of course, this was a very bad thing for Naruto as well. Losing Sai as a trusted friend would only cement his belief that he _needed _to try and rescue Sasame, at all costs now. Hopefully, Anko could get to him in time and talk some sense into that thick skull of his and convince him to let the situation be handled by the Hokage!

Sai stopped on a branch, just ahead of Anko and turned to her, making the Snake Mistress narrow her eyes distrustfully at him.

"You better have a good reason for stopping, brat!" Anko barked as she placed her hand on her kunai pouch. She smirked when she noticed Sai flinch somewhat.

"There's someone approaching us at a high speed, Mitarashi-san." Sai informed her, causing Anko to narrow her eyes further.

"So you're a sensor ninja now?" She asked skeptically. "How do I know you're being truthful?"

Sai sighed as he ran a hand through his inky black hair.

"I already explained this to you, Mitarashi-san," he began in exasperation, causing Anko to scowl at him angrily. "But the fact of the matter is: you _can't _know if I'm telling the truth or not. But, I have nothing to gain from lying to you when my life is in your hands. If you need more proof, look..."

Sai pointed at the tree branch above Anko's head, and she glanced up to see the smiling face of Shisui Uchiha, who was hanging right above her head.

Pulling out a kunai, she carelessly flung it straight at him, causing the teenage Uchiha to widen his eyes, and hastily substitute with a fallen branch on the forest floor. He glared up at her and crossed his arms.

"What was that for!?" He bellowed angrily. "I was just messing with you!"

Anko clicked her tongue in irritation.

"Yeah, well: now;'s not the time for fooling around, Shisui!" Anko replied heatedly.

Shisui shunshined up to the branch and landed softly beside her, and stared at Sai curiously.

"That kid looks like a Root operative," Shisui mused aloud. "What are you doing with one of Danzo's men?"

Anko pointed at Sai.

"This brat knows where Naruto is," Anko explained. "I ran into the little rodent when an ANBU squad and I took out his little group as they were searching for Naruto no doubt. Afterwards, I struck a deal with him: he lives as long as I find Naruto alive and not captured."

Shisui nodded, but eyed the boy warily.

"I could feel a chakra pulse as I traveled towards your location," Shisui informed Anko. "I'm assuming the boy is a sensor?"

Sai nodded and answered for Anko.

"My name is Sai, Uchiha-san," he said politely. "And yes: I am a sensor. I can explain more about my situation as we travel. It's best we keep moving; I have a feeling that Naruto-san is probably very close to the entrance of Lord Danzo's base by now."

Anko fumed slightly at Sai's suggestion.

"I'm in charge here, brat!" She barked in outrage. "Don't start acting like you can give us orders!"

Shisui raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"Easy, Anko-san," Shisui pleaded. "Sai-san is right. We need to keep moving: the sooner we stop Naruto-kun, the better, right?"

Anko continued to glare at the pale-skinned boy who met her gaze evenly, and then nodded curtly. Shisui sighed in relief and then turned towards Sai.

"If the both of us use our sensory abilities, we'll be able to find Naruto-kun faster that way," he suggested. "Just so you know: I don't trust you at all, seeing that your one of Danzo's, but as long as you don't give me a reason to attack you, you have nothing to fear from me, _or _Anko, clear?"

Anko glared at Shisui indignantly for speaking for her, but the Uchiha ignored her in favor of staring down Sai, who nodded in understanding. Shisui smiled, nodded and then pointed forward.

"Well," he said expectantly. "Lead on, Sai-san."

Sai nodded, and began to travel once again, Shisui and Anko falling into step behind him.

Anko bit her lower lip as they hopped from tree branch to tree branch, all the while thinking that she really needed to wallop her student when she finally met up with him.

* * *

><p>Sasame huffed in exhaustion as she pushed Shin in his wheelchair down another long hallway. She glanced down at the boy, who was pale as a ghost and shaking slightly. She frowned and stopped.<p>

"Are you alright, Shin-san?" She asked concernedly.

Shin turned in his seat and smiled at her, although Sasame could clearly tell that the boy was forcing it.

"I-I'm fine, Sasame-san," he reassured her. "Let's keep moving; we're getting close to the exit..."

Sasame nodded, but continued to frown as she began pushing the boy again.

She was well-aware that Shin was in agonizing pain, but the boy refused to admit it. He simply waved off her concerns as they traveled through the gloomy and drab base, and tried to direct her as best as he could. There were several times throughout their journey that Sasame had insisted they stop for a moment to let Shin get his bearings, but the silver-haired boy had adamantly declined, saying that he could rest as soon as they were safely out of the base. Sasame worried that the boy was pushing himself way too hard and way too much. There was an extent to how much someone in Shin's condition could move: she was concerned that if the boy didn't take a break soon he would end up injuring himself further, or worse.

She shook her head as she steered them around another corner that Shin directed her towards, and tried not to think about what might happen. Shin was right: they needed to escape before they worried too much about anything after that. Even though this was the case, Sasame couldn't help but think about Naruto, who was probably on his way into the base as they traveled. What would happen if he somehow managed to get captured? It wasn't so much of the 'how', Sasame thought, but more about the 'when' he did. She had no doubt that Danzo would not have sent Sai's group out looking for her friend, and the thought of the despicable man getting his hands on Naruto terrified her.

Her thoughts were disrupted when she heard Shin speaking to her.

"O-once we reach the end of this hall," Shin gasped, as his body convulsed in a tremor of pain. "W-we need to go left, S-Sasame-san..."

Sasame nodded and began to speed up slightly. If she could just get them out of here...

"STOP!" cried a voice from behind her.

* * *

><p>Sasame wheeled around to see two Root agents quickly closing in on the two of them. She froze in fear, until Shin screamed:<p>

"SASAME-SAN! RUN!"

Sasame spun back around and, gripping the handles of Shin's wheelchair so tightly her knuckles turned white, began to run at a breakneck speed, away from their pursuers. Panic overtook her as she ran. They couldn't be captured now! Surely Danzo would kill them both!

The two of them traversed hallway after hallway, making very sharp turns at the end of each one, until they ended up in a large cavernous room that had many bridges crossing both above and below them. Sasame briefly recalled that it was the same room she had remarked upon while entering the base with Sai. That meant that the exit had to be just across this bridge! Hope beginning to fill her depleted spirits, she dashed along the bridge, her eyes locked firmly on the exit on the other side.

Her pursuers began to throw kunai and shuriken at the two of them, and because of the narrow path they were on, many hit the metal railings of the bridge, making a deafening 'clanging' sound that echoed throughout the large chamber. The sound of the kunai being thrown reminded Sasame of her escape from Rice Country with her father, and she couldn't help but draw parallels between her current situation and back then. Terror filled her as she continued to run.

When they were only thirty feet from the other side of the bridge, a kunai found it's mark in her left shoulder and she cried out as her shoulder exploded in pain. She fell to the ground hard, and let go of Shin's wheelchair, which sent the boy rolling a few feet in front of her, before coming to a stop. Shin rounded in his chair, wide-eyed and looked back at the girl.

"Sasame-san!" He cried. "Are you alright!?"

_'That's a stupid question!' _Sasame thought scathingly as she felt the place the kunai was still lodged. She winced when she touched it, and removed her hand to see it covered in blood. Her blood! She felt all of the color drain from her face as she looked at the red liquid on her palm.

_'This is it!' _She thought forlornly. _'This is the end for us!'_

She felt hot tears begin to run down her cheeks as she lay on the ground, unable to move because of the pain she was in. She heard the footfalls of the two Root operatives steadily approaching and glanced wearily at Shin, who was still looking at her in alarm from his wheelchair.

"I-I'm so sorry, Shin-san," she breathed, as tears ran down her face. "I-I couldn't do it..."

Shin shook his head vigorously.

"Don't give up, Sasame-san!" Shin replied. "We're so close! We can still make it!"

Sasame was touched by Shin's belief in her, but she knew she had to face facts: she couldn't get up, and the Root operatives had them beat. Resisting was only a shortcut to death that she didn't want to take. She didn't want to die though, but what other option did they have besides letting themselves be captured? She lowered her head onto the cold, stone floor helplessly.

"Dammit," she cursed as she felt her tears and blood begin to soak the floor around her. "Is this really how it's going to end?"

Suddenly, there was a loud cry of defiance from somewhere above her, followed shorty by two grunts of pain. Sasame picked her head up slowly and dragged herself with her good arm and legs to see what had just happened. When she was completely turned around on the floor, she gasped in a mixture of shock, anger, and gratitude.

Walking towards her, with a fierce determination blazing in his cerulean eyes, was none other than Naruto Uzumaki!

* * *

><p>Naruto's eyes widened in alarm when he saw the small, but rapidly growing, pool of blood forming around Sasame's body. He rushed over and knelt down beside her to assess the damage.<p>

"Oh, Kami," Naruto whispered as his eyes caught sight of the kunai still wedged in Sasame's flesh. "We have to get that kunai out and the wound bandaged!"

Sasame, still in shock from both her pain and the sudden arrival of Naruto, could only babble out a single question.

"N-Naruto-san..." Sasame stuttered as the boy began to yank his bandage wrappings off of his arms. "Wh-what...?"

Naruto interrupted, glancing up at Sasame in concern.

"Sasame-chan, this is probably going to hurt; _a lot_. But please hang in there, alright!?"

Sasame didn't even have time to brace herself before Naruto yanked the kunai out of her shoulder. She let out a loud string of curses as he did so, causing Naruto to sweat-drop at her language.

_'And here I thought Sasame-chan was a really timid person!' _He thought in astonishment.

After securely bandaging the girl's wounds, Naruto was shocked when the girl hit him hard on the head with her good arm.

"OW!" Naruto wailed. "WHAT THE HELL, SASAME-CHAN!?"

His anger disappeared instantly when he saw that her eyes were filled with tears.

"YOU IDIOT!" Sasame screamed, causing Naruto to flinch. "WHY DID YOU COME HERE!? DON'T YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS IT IS FOR _YOU_ TO BE HERE!?"

Naruto scowled and crossed his arms.

"I'd think you'd be more grateful that I came in here to save you!" He roared back in reply, causing Sasame to wince, and shake her head furiously.

"That's not what I meant!" She retorted angrily. "Of course I'm happy you came to help; but Danzo's hoping that you'll show up!"

Naruto blinked and squinted his eyes in confusion.

"Danzo?" He repeated slowly. "He's the guy who captured you, right?"

Sasame nodded.

"His plan was to use me as bait to bring you right into his base!" Sasame explained desperately. "Now that you're here, you've just done what he _wanted _you to do all along!"

Naruto's face darkened and he quickly hopped to his feet, gingerly pulling Sasame to hers at the same time, despite her protests.

"Then we need to get out of here, now!" Naruto reasoned.

Shin, who watched the two's exchange with a somewhat baffled and amused expression chose that exact moment to speak up:

"So, you're the infamous Naruto-san that Sasame-san and Sai told me about, huh?" He said with a bright smile.

Naruto turned to look at the boy, surprised he didn't notice him before. Being the suave person he was, Naruto bluntly pointed at the boy and declared:

"Who the hell are you!?"

Shin sweat-dropped and glanced at Sasame, who shook her head in exasperation.

"Naruto-san," Sasame began. "This is Shin-san, he's a good friend of Sai-san's and mine as well. I promised Sai-san I'd help Shin-san get out of the base-"

Naruto's body shook with anger and he wheeled on Sasame.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING ANYTHING TO _HELP _THAT DOUBLE-CROSSING BASTARD!?" Naruto roared, causing Sasame to take a step back in fright. "HE'S THE REASON I'M SO LATE IN GETTING TO YOU! SOME FRIEND HE WAS: HE KNOCKED ME OUT RIGHT AS I WAS ABOUT TO COME IN EARLIER TO SAVE YOU!"

Sasame scowled at Naruto, in a warning gesture, but the boy wasn't done.

"SASUKE AND ANKO-SENSEI WERE RIGHT ABOUT SAI! HE'S NOTHING BUT A HEARTLESS ASS, WHO CARES MORE ABOUT HIMSELF THAN HIS FRIENDS! IF HE EVEN UNDERSTANDS WHAT THAT WORD EVEN MEANS-!"

There was a loud, resounding 'whacking' sound that echoed throughout the chamber as Sasame stood up, walked over to Naruto, and slapped him hard across the face. Naruto's tirade ended instantly after her slap, and he gingerly placed a hand on his now reddening cheek, looking at Sasame in shock.

She had fresh tears streaming down her face, that was contorted into a look of outrage. Naruto blinked and lowered his hand from his cheek.

"S-Sasame-chan, w-why...!?" Naruto began weakly.

"DON'T TALK ABOUT SAI-SAN LIKE THAT!" She bellowed at the whiskered boy, who recoiled slightly from her harsh tone. "I FEEL LIKE A HYPOCRITE; BECAUSE I DID THE SAME THING WHEN I MET SHIN, BUT THEN I LEARNED THE TRUTH ABOUT SAI-SAN! HE _DOES _UNDERSTAND WHAT FRIENDSHIP IS: MORE THAN YOU KNOW!"

Naruto took a step back from Sasame and narrowed his eyes at her. Did Danzo do something to Sasame? What happened to the sweet girl he had befriended at the Academy? Because this wasn't her.

"You're saying that I don't understand?" Naruto began in a quavering voice that soon cascaded into a roar. "Then...WHY DON'T YOU EXPLAIN!?"

Shin chose that time to interject once again.

"Naruto-san, please!" He cried pleadingly. "We don't have time for this! We need to get out of here!"

Naruto turned and cast a heated glare at the wheelchair-bound boy, but Shin locked his gaze on him, unnerved and determined. Naruto glanced back at Sasame who refused to meet his eyes, but continued to shake in anger.

Shin glanced between the two of them and sighed.

"Naruto-san," he said, his gaze still locked on the boy. "I understand that you're confused and most likely hurt by Sai's actions, but if we get out of here, I promise I'll explain everything. And Sasame..."

Shin turned his head to look at the girl who cast her gaze at the ground.

"I appreciate you standing up for Sai, but there was absolutely no reason to hit Naruto-san. He doesn't know what Sai's true motives are, and he had a right to be angry..."

Sasame sniffled and cast a nervous glance at Naruto, who fixed his gaze on her, with an unreadable expression.

"I-I'm sorry, Naruto-san." Sasame apologized. "I-I shouldn't have hit you..."

Naruto placed a hand on his cheek again and then his expression softened.

"I forgive you, Sasame-chan," Naruto said quietly. "I-I just never thought you'd do something like that..."

Sasame hung her head dejectedly. Naruto, seeing that his statement wasn't making his friend feel any better, began to laugh.

"But, I guess I deserved it!"

Sasame looked up at the now-smiling boy in bewilderment. She had just slapped him and he was laughing about it!? What was wrong with him!?

"N-Naruto-san, I-" She began weakly.

Naruto waved off whatever she was going to say and added:

"Don't worry about it Sasame-chan!" He said cheerfully. "It's in the past now! We need to get out of here, right?"

Sasame smiled slightly and nodded. She then walked over to Shin's wheelchair and gripped the handles, turning back to Naruto who was now standing behind her.

"Thanks for coming to save us, Naruto-kun." Sasame said with a large smile, that mirrored the boy's.

Naruto blinked and then scratched the back of his head as he chuckled.

"No problem!" He replied. "That's what friends do, right?"

Sasame couldn't help but be grateful for being able to muster the courage her first day of the Academy when she asked Naruto if she could sit by him.

"Right!" She replied.

All three of them smiled at each other until a new voice broke apart the warm moment.

"Well, isn't this touching..." Came a raspy voice from the other end of the bridge.

* * *

><p>All three of them turned to see Danzo, in the flesh, strolling towards them with a large platoon of his Root operatives trailing after him.<p>

"At last," Danzo said with a twisted smirk. "You've finally shown yourself, Uzumaki. I was beginning to think you didn't care about your friend there."

Danzo shot a look of disdain towards Sasame who stepped back in fear. Naruto however, stepped forward and grit his teeth in outrage.

"So you're the bastard that took Sasame-chan, huh?" Naruto growled. "What the hell did you want to see me so bad for!?"

Danzo said nothing as he continued to approach. When he was halfway across the bridge, he replied:

"I think we both know the answer to that question, Uzumaki," Danzo stated in a cold tone. "It's not so much _you _that I'm interested in. It's what's _inside _you that has my interest..."

Naruto felt his body freeze up at Danzo's statement. He cast a nervous glance at Sasame who was looking at him concernedly.

"Naruto-kun," she breathed anxiously. "W-What is he talking about?"

Danzo rose an eyebrow in interest.

"Oh?" He asked in a surprised tone. "Surely you've told your friend here about your secret? Or have you not, Uzumaki?"

Naruto snarled audibly as Danzo's face grew into a sadistic smirk.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Naruto barked.

Danzo however, continued speaking.

"Well, Sasame," he continued as he slowly approached the three of them. "The truth is Uzumaki here contains a very powerful weapon. A weapon that I would like to make use of..."

Naruto began to shake with uncontrollable rage.

"I SAID: SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Danzo actually chuckled as the boy began to give into his emotions. He could feel the Kyuubi's chakra sealed inside the boy starting to leak out.

"Ah, emotions," Danzo said pseudo-fondly. "Such a wonderful thing...But not suitable for a ninja-in-training. No, they only make you weak. Like Shin over there."

Shin glared at Danzo ruefully, as did Sasame. Naruto continued to level the man with so much resentment, it actually caused some of the Root ninja to hesitate slightly as they walked towards them.

Danzo however, continued to slowly stride towards them unaffected by the boy's rage, his wooden cane's 'click-clack' resounding each time it hit the stone floor of the bridge.

"Because you see, my dear," Danzo went on, smirking cruelly at Sasame as he did so. "Your dear friend Uzumaki here is actually the host of the-"

Danzo's next words were cut off as a deafening explosion rang overhead, causing large amounts of debris to fall from the ceiling. Quickly reacting, everyone who was in harm's way swiftly got to cover, barely missing the large pieces of stone and metal that crashed down on the bridge and subsequent structures.

Danzo narrowed his visible eye as the dust cleared, revealing a large gathering of ninja, although he only had eyes for the one leading the pack.

"I was wondering when you'd show up..."

"Hiruzen."

* * *

><p>Anko, Shisui, and Sai arrived at the large tree in the middle of the forest and landed at it's trunk. Anko crossed her arms in irritation and leveled a menacing glare at Sai.<p>

"Brat," she growled. "This is nothing more than a giant tree! Do you really expect us to believe that Naruto is somewhere up in the branches or something!?"

Sai turned to look at her and shook his head slowly.

"Not up, Mitarashi-san," Sai explained. "but, _under._"

Anko narrowed her eyes at the pale-skinned boy.

"And what's _that _supposed to mean!?"

"I think he means this, Anko-san." Came the voice of Shisui, who was standing a few meters to the right of her, looking in awe at a thick patch of moss.

Anko and Sai walked over to him, and Sai smiled at the Uchiha.

"Very observant, Shisui-san," Sai complimented. "This is the entrance to Root's headquarters. Naruto-san is down below."

Anko snarled and grabbed Sai by the collar of his shirt, hefting him into the air.

"I thought you said Naruto _hadn't _been captured yet, brat!"

Sai nodded his head, and it took Shisui's intervention to get Anko to put the boy down.

"He hasn't," Sai gasped, once he was on solid ground again. "At least, I don't think he is. Besides-"

Sai froze, his eyes widened and he quickly swiveled from Anko to look in bewilderment at the entrance of the base. Shisui did so as well a second later, causing Anko to grit her teeth in irritation.

"WHAT IS IT NOW!?" She roared, causing the two of them to look at her.

Shisui had a thin line of sweat running down his face as he replied:

"I-I can sense Naruto-kun's chakra," Shisui breathed. "And...it's mixed with _it's _chakra...Something bad must've happened!"

Sai turned to Shisui with a questioning look, but Shisui either didn't notice or purposely ignored him in favor of speaking directly to Anko, who paled.

"Then we need to get in there and make sure he's alright!" She replied, running over to the thick patch of moss and practically tearing it aside from the concealed entrance.

"Sai-san, you know the layout of the base, right?" Shisui asked the pale-skinned boy who nodded. "Then, you need to lead us to where Naruto-kun is and-!"

Shisui was cut short when a large tremor nearly knocked the three of them off their feet. After a moment, it passed, only to be replaced by a deafening blast.

Anko blinked and looked around in bewilderment.

"W-was that an explosion!?" She stammered.

Shisui and Sai looked equally confused as the three of them looked around the surrounding area for any sign of smoke.

"I don't know..." Shisui replied breathlessly, but then got a hold of himself. "It's not important at the moment! We need to get down there, right away! Naruto-kun's our first priority!"

Anko couldn't agree more. She quickly grabbed a hold of Sai and pushed him towards the long stairwell. When he glanced back at her in confusion, she crossed her arms and clicked her tongue impatiently.

"What?" She demanded. "You're the Root brat here. You know the base, so you get to go first and lead!"

Sai narrowed his eyes at the Snake Mistress, who returned his expression ten-fold. He sighed and began to trek down the stairs.

Shisui shot Anko an anxious look, which she returned as the two of them followed after Sai, disappearing into the darkness.

**AN:**** And the cavalry arrives! What will Naruto's reaction be when he finally runs into Sai again? Will everyone make it out if the base in one piece? And once again: will Danzo ever stop being a dick? Find out this and more in the next episode of Dragonball Z! *AHEM* I mean: The Fox's Shadow!**


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39:**

Naruto coughed as he waved the copious amounts of dust away from his face so he could see what had caused the explosion. As he did so, he heard Kurama speak up in his head.

**"That was close brat," **The fox snarled in irritation. **"You need to learn how to control your emotions! If you would've gotten any madder, my chakra would have leaked into your chakra system and poisoned you! I told you that your body can't handle it yet!"**

Naruto's face paled at the news. He had felt a sudden shift in his chakra when he started to get mad at Danzo, but he had no idea that it had anything to do with Kurama. However, at the current moment, he was in a life-or-death situation, and really didn't want an 'Iruka-sensei worthy lecture' from his tenant.

_'I'll keep it in mind, Kurama!' _Naruto thought irritably. _'But for the moment: shut up, will ya?'_

The fox mock gasped and huffed indignantly.

**"How very rude!"**

Naruto rolled his eyes at Kurama's antics and focused on what was going on before him. When the dust finally cleared he could make out the silhouettes of several ninja and in the middle of them, was one that he found instantly familiar.

"OLD MAN!" Naruto cried in relief.

* * *

><p>Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled at Naruto when he met his gaze.<p>

"I'm glad to see that you are alright, Naruto-kun." His gaze fixed on Sasame as well, and he frowned slightly when he noticed the hastily made bandages affixed around her left shoulder.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get here faster, Sasame-chan," Sarutobi apologized sincerely. "but I am also glad to see that you are not too injured."

Sasame blushed slightly and smiled as she lowered her gaze to the floor. The Hokage _did _care about her! She was right all along!

Sarutobi's eyes narrowed when he fixed them at last upon the face of his rival, who snarled at him.

"I was wondering when you'd show up, Hiruzen." Danzo spat.

Sarutobi's eyes narrowed until they resembled slits.

"That's Lord Hokage to you, Danzo!" He bellowed. "You are hereby under arrest Danzo Shimura for your crimes against the village of Konohagakure!"

Danzo snorted in derision.

"I have done nothing wrong." He replied smugly.

Naruto, Shin, and Sasame bristled with anger at the man's remark, but Sarutobi wasn't a fool; he knew full well what his sneaky rival had been up to.

"On the contrary, Danzo," Sarutobi spat back. "You are charged with kidnapping of a minor, and for breaking my edict! As you know, the punishment for the latter is execution!"

Danzo snarled as Sarutobi made his proclamation.

"I do not bow to your authority Hiruzen!" He barked defiantly. "I have _ always _looked out for the best interests of the village! I did all of the dirty work you were too soft-hearted to do! The roots are the true foundation upon what a mighty tree such as Konoha is built!"

Sarutobi continued to glare down at Danzo imperiously.

"I am Hokage, Danzo," Sarutobi said simply. "And your statement is false. It is the Will of Fire that makes this village what it is! Not your cunning and manipulative ways of going about things! You have ruined the lives of all of your subordinates by subjecting them to cruelty and inhumane training methods! You disgust me!"

Danzo sneered as he rounded on his subordinates.

"Is there a single one of you that is not grateful for what I have made you? If so: then by all means, you may leave! But be warned: you will never be welcome to serve me ever again!"

Naruto was shocked to see that not a single Root operative raised their voice in protest, nor did a single one show the slightest ounce of uncertainty.

After several moments, Danzo turned back to Sarutobi and laughed.

"You see, Hiruzen!" Danzo cackled. " _This _is the true ideal of loyalty! What you inspire in your weak followers is nothing but a fallacy! You are not fit to rule Konoha with such weakness! I should be Hokage! Not you!"

Sarutobi shook his head, and sighed sadly.

"You are wrong again, Danzo," he said quietly. "The people, and the shinobi of Konoha are not my followers. They are my family. That is what makes me more powerful than you. I do not rule by fear, I rule with love for each and every person I am sworn to protect. I will die if I have to just to protect every single one of them! That is why I am the Hokage!"

Danzo's sneer became more pronounced.

"Lies!" He roared, as he pointed accusingly up at the man. "You are only Hokage because Lord Second chose you to be over myself and the others that night during the Second Great Shinobi War! All of this nonsense you are spewing is far from the truth!"

Sarutobi shook his head yet again.

"And why do you think that Lord Second chose me to be Hokage and not you?" Sarutobi asked. "At the time, you were just as capable a ninja as I was, and yet: he did not choose you. But I know the reason why."

Danzo said nothing as he continued to glare hatefully at Sarutobi.

"The reason being," Sarutobi continued. "That you abuse your power! You don't think about the needs of the village! You think only of your own advancement! Lord Second didn't choose you for this exact reason!"

Danzo roared in outrage and turned to his Root operatives, who watched the entire exchange between the two men with kind of detached interest.

"ROOT!" Danzo bellowed. "EXECUTE PLAN OMEGA! WE SHALL NOT BE MOCKED BY THIS FOOL!"

* * *

><p>Shin's eyes widened as he turned to Naruto and shouted:<p>

"We have to get out of here! Plan Omega is an emergency plan that was a last resort if Lord Danzo ever felt we were compromised! He plans to collapse the entire base!"

Naruto's eyes widened and he turned to Sasame, who stood transfixed in horror.

"Sasame-chan!" Naruto bellowed, snapping the girl out of her state. "What are you waiting for!? An invitation! Let's move it!"

Sasame nodded and quickly ran to Shin's wheelchair and began pushing as fast as she could towards the exit that was only a dozen meters away, Naruto right behind them.

Suddenly, they heard Danzo cry out over the sounds of battle:

"ROOT! STOP UZUMAKI AT ALL COSTS! KILL HIM IF YOU MUST!"

Naruto swore and began to run faster as he watched several black cloaked ninja jump out of the fray and begin rushing towards him. He wheeled around to try and fight, but a hand grabbed him.

He looked up to see a face he hadn't seen since his run in with 'Shadow-Anko'. It was the ever-masked face of Kakashi Hatake.

"Hold your horses, Naruto-kun," Kakashi eye-smiled. "You should listen to your friend. We ANBU and jounin will take care of Danzo's men. Just make sure you get your friends and yourself out of here, alright?"

Naruto blinked and then nodded blankly. Coming to his senses after getting over his initial shock of seeing Kakashi again, he smiled.

"You bet!" He replied, and turned to dash off after Sasame and Shin, who had already reached the exit.

Kakashi continued to eye-smile until Naruto rounded the corner of the exit, and then turned, narrowing his one visible eye at the Root operatives that now stood before him. He cracked his neck and dropped into a ready stance.

"Time to get some payback on Danzo for the way they treated sensei's son." He muttered, as he dashed towards the Root ninjas, kunai in hand.

The battle was on.

* * *

><p>Anko, Shisui, and Sai had just made it down the long stairwell that led into the base, when they were alerted to the sounds of battle echoing from a ways deep within the base.<p>

"I guess the Hokage got here before we did." Shisui remarked with a smug grin.

Anko nodded and turned to Sai with a glare.

"Where's Naruto, then?" She asked scathingly to the pale-skinned boy. "I'm not lifting a finger to help you with this 'plan' of yours until I know that my student is safe!"

Sai frowned at Anko's declaration and peered through the eerie darkness.

"Strange," Sai murmured. "Do you two hear that sound? It's getting closer..."

Anko narrowed her eyes and listened in. Sure enough, there _was_ something moving in their direction, and it was gaining fast. Before she had time to discern what it could possibly be, she was bowled over by a blur of orange and yellow, and toppled to the ground with a thud.

When Anko's vision was completely cleared of spots, she was able to make out a dim shape of a person who was sitting astride her.

"ANKO-SENSEI!" Came the loud voice of one Naruto Uzumaki exuberantly.

Anko blinked, and sure enough, her student was right there! Completely unharmed!

Forgetting her anger at the boy, Anko hopped up and hugged him tightly around the midriff, squeezing the life out of the poor boy.

"NARUTO!" Anko cheered, tears leaking from her eyes. "THANK KAMI YOU'RE SAFE! THANK-"

She suddenly sat the boy down and hung her head, so that her bangs covered her face. Naruto looked at her in concern; she was shaking all over.

"Anko-sensei," Naruto began. "Don't cry. I'm fine! Really!"

Naruto's happy smile was effectively wiped from his face when Anko lifted her head, and a demonic aura began to visibly coalesce around her body. Naruto realized she was shaking with rage, not sadness.

_'Oh shit.' _Naruto thought fretfully. Deep in his mind, Kurama added:

**"Oh shit, indeed."**

Anko marched right up to Naruto and began to wallop him on the head, causing the boy to cry out in a mixture of pain and confusion.

"WHAT. WERE. YOU. THINKING. YOU. STUPID. BRAT. COULD'VE. GOTTEN. KILLED. I. SWEAR!" Anko roared. Each wallop was punctuated with a single word, as Naruto tried in vain to escape his enraged sensei.

"Anko-sensei! Ow! I'm sorry! Ouch! Stop! Ow! Hitting! Ow! Me!" Naruto yelled in reply.

Anko stopped, but continued to fume. Naruto saw just how angry she was when she walked away from him and punched the nearby wall, leaving a ten-inch crater where her fist made impact with the wall. Naruto gulped. He was glad that she didn't hit him like that just a few seconds ago.

Shisui came over and ruffled Naruto's hair affectionately.

"Glad to see you're alright, Naruto-kun," Shisui beamed. "Mikoto-oba is pissed though. You're really in for it when you get back home!"

Shisui laughed, but stopped when he noticed Naruto's forlorn expression.

"I don't think Mikoto-oba will want me to come back..." Naruto muttered weakly.

Shisui popped him on the head, an annoyed expression etched upon his face.

"Don't be stupid, Naruto-kun!" Shisui admonished, causing Naruto to look up at him with a mixture of anger, confusion, and pain. Shisui's expression softened. "Mikoto-oba loves you. Of course she'd want you to come back; no matter what kind of idiotic trouble you've gotten yourself into!"

Naruto felt tears form in his eyes as he smiled weakly and nodded.

"Thanks, Shisui-nii." Naruto replied quietly.

Sai walked over to Naruto next, and when the boy's made eye contact, there was an awkward sort of tension between them.

"Naruto-san, I-" Sai began, but Naruto held up a hand to stop him.

"I don't want to hear it right now," He said gruffly. "Sasame-chan and Shin said that what you did to me was for reasons I don't understand, but I'm still pissed at you."

Sai hung his head dejectedly.

"But," Naruto said, causing Sai to look up at him. "After this whole mess is over, I'll gladly listen to your side of the story. I don't want to lose one of my first friends after all!"

Naruto's grin was so contagious, Sai couldn't help but smile widely in turn.

His smile melted off when he remembered something.

"Naruto-san," Sai began urgently. "Where is Shin and Sasame-san?"

Naruto blinked and looked around.

"They were right behind me!" Naruto babbled. "Where did they-!"

Naruto and Sai's question was answered when they heard Sasame shout from a ways down the long, dark corridor.

"Naruto-kun, Sai-san: I need help, now!" She cried.

* * *

><p>Both boys rushed down the dark corridor following Sasame's voice until they found her down on one knee next to Shin, who was coughing violently.<p>

Sai's eyes widened in alarm as he knelt down next to his oldest friend and examined him with concern. He turned to Sasame.

"What happened?!"

Sasame shook her head frantically and replied:

"I'm not sure! One minute he was just fine, and then: right as we got halfway down the hall, he doubled over and started coughing like this! It's bad Sai-san: He's coughing up a lot of blood..."

Sai looked down and sure enough: there was blood splattered all over Shin's hands and the front of his clothes.

_'Shin.' _Sai thought morosely. His expression hardened and he turned to Naruto.

"Naruto-san," he began determinedly. "I know that you still are mad at me, but for the sake of my friend: will you help me?"

Naruto didn't even hesitate as he knelt down next to the pale-skinned boy.

"What do you need me to do?" He asked quickly.

Sai smiled momentarily before another violent cough from Shin prompted him back to the situation at hand.

"We need to move him." Sai stated solemnly. "Can you help me carry him up the stairs? We'll have to move slowly, I don't want to aggravate his wounds anymore than necessary..."

Shin wheezed after a particularly violent hack, and looked at Sai with weary eyes.

"N-no time," he gasped, a trickle of blood spilling down both sides of his mouth. "L-Lord Danzo...P-Plan O-Omega..."

Sai's eyes widened and he looked down the hallway in alarm.

"Oh no..." He breathed, and then craned his head to look at Naruto. "There's no time to debate: let's move Shin, now!"

Naruto nodded, and together, the two of them hefted the boy out of his wheelchair, and began to walk towards the others.

It was slow-going as the group all helped to carry Shin out of the base. It was made even more difficult by the constant rumblings of the battle below.

About halfway up the stairs, the group was hit by the worst tremor they had felt so far, and heard a loud booming noise from deep within the base.

Sai's eyes widened.

"The base is imploding! Lord Danzo must've ordered the Root operatives to set off the paper bombs embedded in the foundations!"

Anko rolled her eyes.

"That's just great!" She said sarcastically. "Are we going to stand here and listen to you go into detail about the mechanisms behind that? Or should we keep moving so we don't get crushed, brat?"

Sai glared at Anko, who simply averted her gaze coolly.

"Enough!" Shouted Sasame, who was dabbing at Shin's now bleeding wounds with a torn off piece of her clothes. Everyone turned to look at the normally serene girl. She leveled Sai and Anko with a cold glare. "Just shut up and keep moving if you want an answer, Anko-chan!"

Anko raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"You got more spunk than I originally gave you credit for, Sasame-chan!" She said with a smile. "You heard the lady: let's move it!"

Everyone began moving up the stairs again, careful not to aggravate Shin's injuries.

* * *

><p>Their progress was once again halted when a small squad of Root ninja began running up the steps after them, no doubt to get a hold of Naruto. Shisui was the first to notice them, and activated his sharingan.<p>

"Keep moving!" He ordered. "I'll take care of these guys!"

Naruto's eyes widened in alarm.

"Be careful, Shisui-nii!" He cried after him. Shisui turned and gave Naruto a grin.

"Who're you talking to, Naruto-kun?" He said smugly. "I'm Shisui Uchiha, of the Body Flicker!"

And true to his name, the Uchiha boy vanished in a blur and reappeared right in the midst of the Root ninja, and began taking them down.

Naruto watched on in awe until Anko yelled at him to keep moving like Shisui ordered. He tore his gaze away from Shisui and continued walking up the stairs.

* * *

><p>When the group of six ( Shisui had dealt with the Root ninja quite handily, and caught up) made it out of the base, they were just in time. No sooner had Naruto's foot left the last stair, the ground lurched, sending everyone off balance. Sai and Shisui, who were carrying Shin, had to use chakra on the soles of their feet to make sure they didn't accidentally drop Shin. Unfortunately for Sasame, who was the only oe who was not able to use chakra, she fell over, landing on the ground hard. Her embarrassment didn't last long however. No sooner had she fallen, she looked over to see Naruto land right on his butt.<p>

"Naruto-kun," Sasame remarked quietly. "Why didn't you just stick to the ground with chakra, like everyone else did? You can, can't you?"

Naruto's eyes widened and he smacked his forehead in annoyance.

"Damn!" He cried. "I should've thought of that!"

Sasame sweat-dropped at the blonde-haired boy incredulously. Sometimes, she really didn't understand how Naruto could be so dense.

Sasame turned to look at Shin, who was even worse than before. The trek up the stairs had not gone well for the silver-haired boy. Every effort they made to ease his travel was complicated by the constant tremors caused by both Danzo's plan to destroy the base and the lingering effects of long-range jutsu that were being used by both sides. He was still hacking up blood, although Sai was doing everything in his power to help his friend. Sasame felt a tug of guilt at Sai's hopeless expression. She glanced down at her hands, and clenched them into fists. If she could only use her chakra! She could do something! She felt so useless compared to the others in the group!

She blinked when she felt a hand squeeze her shoulder, and looked up to see Naruto, also looking at Shin with a grim expression on his face. He smiled when he looked down at her.

"Don't beat yourself up, Sasame-chan," He said consolingly. "Now that we're out of the base, we can get Shin to the hospital! They'll be able to help him!"

Sasame smiled slightly at Naruto's attempt to make her feel better, but it quickly vanished; only to be replaced by the cold, hard truth. Shin couldn't be moved anymore, or he would die from blood loss. As it was, the boy had already lost a lot of blood. His breathing came in ragged bursts, and Sasame had to stop several times as they traveled up the stairs to try and clot the now re-opened wounds on the boy's body. She looked down at her hands and saw that they were covered in a mixture of Shin's and her own blood. Maybe it was shock, or just that the events of today had desensitized her, but the blood didn't bother her as much as it did when she got hit by the Root ninja's kunai. Then, again: Sasame had also seen worse things...She shook her head and stared at Anko and Sai.

She sighed heavily as she got to her feet and walked slowly over to the two of them, who were doing their best to try and bandage up Shin.

"Can I do anything to help?" Sasame asked eagerly, causing both of them to look at her as she approached.

Anko's eyes glanced down at Shin and then back at Sasame.

"Unless you can use medical ninjutsu, I don't think so, Sasame-chan." Anko answered morosely. "We need a way to clot the blood. If Shin loses anymore..."

Sai fixed Anko with an angry glare.

"DON'T EVEN SAY IT!" He barked, causing Anko to narrow her eyes at him critically.

"Grow up, brat!" Anko shouted, causing everyone to look at her in shock. "This is the life of a shinobi: you know this! People die. People who we care about. Sometimes we get lucky and get to have a happy ending where no one we care about dies, but if that's what you were hoping for when you signed up: I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it's not gonna happen!"

Sai continued to glare at Anko for several moments, before his eyes cast downward at the face of his friend, and he began to shake.

"I-I can't let h-him die!" Sai sobbed, applying even more pressure on a particularly grievous wound right below Shin's chest. "I-I p-promised w-we'd escape t-together...!"

Anko continued to gaze at Sai sternly, but she didn't say anything more in reprimand to the boy. Instead, she simply turned back to Sasame and sighed remorsefully.

"Unless you know of a way to stop bleeding, Sasame-chan..." Anko said gravely, not even bothering to finish her sentence. She didn't need to, of course; Sasame knew exactly what would happen.

She raked her brain for anything she could remember about medicine. Her mother, before she died, was a nurse-of-sorts for the entirety of the clan. Sasame was so young back then, but she could vaguely remember her mother explaining to her about different herbs one could use if they didn't have any medical equipment on hand. At the time, Sasame didn't understand much of anything her mother had told her, she simply wanted to be close to her while she worked. She remembered her mother sighing and showing her a book with pictures in it. She recalled liking the different colors of the various flowers that her mother pointed out to her, and there was one in particular...

What had her mother called it?

Her eyes snapped open as the memory came flooding back to her. She frantically grabbed Anko's shoulder, causing the woman to look up at her in shock.

"What, Sasame-chan!?" Anko began testily, but Sasame cut her off.

"Anko-chan," Sasame interjected quickly. "I know the Land of Fire is a bit south for it, but do you know if a plant called: Dragon's Jade grows around here?"

Anko furrowed her brow in thought and then snapped her fingers.

"You know what; I remember Inoichi mentioning it. I think it does, but why?" She replied.

Sasame beamed.

"There's no time to explain! I'm going to go find some!"

Sasame turned to Naruto, who was watching Shin sadly with Shisui by his side.

"Naruto-kun!" Sasame called, causing the whiskered boy to look at her in confusion. "I need you to come with me!"

Naruto didn't hesitate, and quickly ran to Sasame's side.

"Where are we going?" He asked curiously. "Shouldn't we stay and try to help out with Shin?"

Sasame tapped her foot impatiently.

"What we're going to do will _help_ Shin, Naruto-kun!" Sasame replied in an annoyed tone.

Naruto nodded.

"So, what do you need me to do?" He asked eagerly.

"Can you jump on trees with chakra, like Anko-chan and Shisui-san?" Sasame asked. When Naruto nodded, she smiled and added:

"Then I need you to carry me."

* * *

><p>After much sputtering and frantic questioning of <em> why <em> he had to carry Sasame, Naruto (after two bops to the head from the same girl) conceded.

Now, the two of them were rapidly making their way through the woods, Sasame on Naruto's back, searching the forest floor with keen eyes. After several minutes, Sasame tightened her grip around Naruto's neck, momentarily choking him, and cried:

"Stop, Naruto-kun! That's it! Right down there!"

Naruto stopped on the tree branch they were currently on, and gracefully hopped down until they were on the floor of the forest. He scanned their surroundings and then scowled.

"Where Sasame-chan?!" He grumbled. "I don't see any flowers!"

Sasame rolled her eyes as she walked over to a nearby tree and examined the trunk, as if looking for something only she could see. Naruto heard her give a squeal of delight, and quickly rushed over to see what Sasame had found.

In her hands, was what resembled ordinary moss. At first, Naruto thought that was what it was. But upon closer inspection, he realized that the moss-like plant seemed to sparkle with bright green flecks of light that danced on the surface, almost like a flame.

Sasame smiled widely at him when she noticed that he was just over her shoulder.

"Firstly, it's a _plant, _not a flower, Naruto-kun," Sasame explained, to the boy who pouted slightly. "And secondly: it's called the Dragon's Jade because the sparkling green light is actually a very small crystal that naturally grows from inside the plant until it sprouts on the outside, making it glow from a distance. They called it Dragon's Jade because it looks like flames from the breath of a dragon, and the jade part, well; that's kind of self-explanatory..."

Naruto cocked his head to the side as he regarded Sasame with a strange expression, causing her to blush slightly.

"What?!" She demanded, averting her gaze from his blue eyes.

"I never knew you knew so much about plants and stuff, Sasame-chan! So that stuff'll help Shin? You're awesome, Sasame-chan!" Naruto cheered, causing Sasame to blush a bit more.

"I-It's nothing," Sasame replied bashfully. "It's just something I learned about from my mother before she...died."

At her last words the two of them fell into an uncomfortable silence, permeated only by the natural sounds of the surrounding forest and animals within.

After several moments, Naruto braced himself to carry Sasame again, almost as if he had never heard her previous statement about her mother. However, the blonde-haired boy didn't look at her when he replied:

"Shin's waiting, Sasame-chan," He said quietly. "We need to get going."

Sasame looked at him for several seconds, trying to gauge what he was feeling. But after several attempts, she gave up and climbed onto his back, and the two of them took off, jumping along the trees once more.

* * *

><p>While they traveled, Naruto said in almost too quiet of a voice to be heard over the sound of the rushing wind:<p>

"I think it's great that you're able to save Shin because of something your mother taught you Sasame-chan," He remarked. "I also think it's great you knew her...I-I have no idea who my parents even are or what they looked like."

Sasame felt her heart drop as Naruto's words hit her. She nestled into his back and whispered:

"I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun."

Naruto was silent as they continued jumping for awhile before he said:

"Don't be," he replied in a slightly more cheery tone. "It's all in the past now, ain't it?"

Sasame could see the sliver of a smile creep onto Naruto's face, but even she didn't have to look at his full face to know that the light of that smile didn't reach his eyes.

* * *

><p>When they arrived back where the others were, Sasame slid off of Naruto's back and hurried over to Anko and Sai, who were still working on clotting the numerous wounds on Shin. The silver-haired boy was still alive, but if they didn't stop the bleeding in the next few minutes...<p>

Sasame shook her head and began to tear the moss-like plant apart in her hands, until she held very finite slivers of it in her palms. She approached Anko and Sai and knelt beside them.

"I've got the plant," she informed them. "It has healing properties. It should clot the blood enough that we can safely wrap up Shin-san's bandages again!"

Sai nodded gratefully as he slid to the side so Sasame could sit where he was to tend to Shin's wounds.

Moving at a slow and meticulous pace, Sasame smeared the slivers into the wounds on Shin's body, and there was an acrid smell followed by a hiss of light green mist that emanated from each place the Dragon's Jade was applied. After several pain-staking minutes of work, Sasame sat back on her heels and wiped the sweat from her forehead with a sigh of relief.

"It will need to set for about five minutes before we can safely begin wrapping up the wounds, but he should be alright for now..."

Anko grasped Sasame's hands in her own and looked at her with wide, adoring eyes.

"Oh, Sasame-chan!" Anko cried. "You're so wonderful! Thank Kami you were able to find something to help!"

Sasame sweat-dropped at Anko's complete 180 in attitude and shook her hands free.

"It's the least I can do..." Sasame said sadly. "While we were trying to escape the base, I felt so useless compared to the rest of you..."

Anko frowned, but it was Sai who spoke up next.

"Sasame-san," he said with a quavering voice. "What you've done is more impressive than anything that all of us combined has done so far. You've essentially saved my best friend's life. For that: I can't begin to express my gratitude..."

Sasame blushed at the praise and cast her gaze downward.

Suddenly, the moment was broken by Naruto who bellowed:

"Hey, I knocked out two Root operatives to save Shin and Sasame-chan!"

Anko rolled her eyes at her student and clicked her tongue irritably.

"So what, brat?" She snarled. "You weren't even supposed to be here in the first place!"

Naruto pouted, but he didn't argue. She was right, after all.

Shisui walked over and addressed the group. His face was pale and his eyes were full of anxiousness that set everyone on edge.

"We've got trouble, guys," the Uchiha teen remarked. "I can sense a large group of ninja heading this way, followed by another group. I bet that it's Danzo and his men fleeing from Lord Hokage's group. They're going to bring the battle right through here!"

Sasame stood up abruptly.

"But we can't move!" She cried nervously. "The Dragon's Jade still needs time to set before we can even begin wrapping Shin-san's wounds!"

Anko nodded in agreement.

"Can't you go ahead and try and delay them?!" Anko reasoned.

Shisui paled and shook his head vigorously.

"I'm strong, but not _ that _ strong!" He replied helplessly. "I'd only be able to last against that many Root operatives for a few minutes, at best!"

Naruto stepped up and crossed his arms.

"Well, what do we do then?!" He retorted. "If what Shisui-nii is true, then we need to move before everyone gets here!"

It was Sai who spoke next, his face somehow paler than it already was. He pointed with a shaky finger past Naruto's shoulder and stated:

"Too late. They're here."

* * *

><p>Naruto scowled as he watched a whole platoon, (albeit much smaller than the original group) of Danzo's men and the despicable man himself, speed into the clearing with the giant tree. They stopped when they realized that they were not alone.<p>

Danzo smiled wickedly when he made eye-contact with Naruto.

"Well, it seems that not all of my plans are ruined," he began in a smug tone. "And perfect: Sai's here as well. At least, I can get rid of Uzumaki before Hiruzen's group catches up!"

Naruto snarled in outrage at the man's words.

"BRING IT ON, MUMMY MAN!" Naruto bellowed.

Shisui placed a calming hand on Naruto's shoulder, causing the boy to look up at him.

"No, Naruto-kun," he admonished. "Danzo's not the kind of ninja that you can handle. He's got just as much experience as Lord Hokage; and then: there's the matter of all of his soldiers..."

Naruto frowned as he looked back at Danzo, who still was wearing a triumphant smirk, and balled his fists.

"What can we do then, Shisui-nii!?" Naruto asked imploringly. "I'm not going to let that creep hurt my friends!"

Shisui smiled.

"No one's telling you to, Naruto-kun," he reassured him. "But, you need to stay out of this fight. It's too much for you at your current level."

Anko walked up next to Shisui and nodded, casting a stern glance at Naruto afterwards.

"Yeah, brat," she said with a sigh. "For once: actually listen to someone when they tell you something, please?"

Naruto scowled and crossed his arms defiantly, but he didn't argue with the two older ninja.

Danzo watched the exchange with a malicious glint in his eyes.

"Don't think that you two substandard excuses for ninja can stop me!" Danzo sneered. "After my men and I kill Uzumaki, you'll be next-!"

Danzo was cut off abruptly when a powerful punch hit him square in the jaw, sending him tumbling across the clearing, until he smashed, back-first, into the trunk of the large tree.

* * *

><p>Standing where Danzo had just been, was Sarutobi with his arm still outstretched.<p>

"THAT'S ANOTHER REASON YOU'LL NEVER BE HOKAGE, DANZO!" Sarutobi roared. "THE HOKAGE CAN NEVER BE A COWARD WHO RUNS AWAY FROM A FIGHT, JUST BECAUSE THINGS AREN'T GOING HIS WAY!"

Danzo said nothing as he coughed up a spicket of blood, and glared at Sarutobi ruefully.

At once, all of Danzo's Root ninja fell into combat stances around Sarutobi who chuckled.

"What?" he asked curiously. "You think that because you have an advantage of numbers you can actually take me down? I am not the Hokage for nothing!"

Naruto watched in awe as the Old Man let loose a powerful blast of killing intent, which momentarily froze all of the Root ninja in the vicinity of him. Unfortunately for them, one second was all the Hokage needed. Dashing about with speeds the human eye cannot hope to track, he decimated ninja after ninja with only two kunai in either hand. To add to the Root ninja's misfortune, Sarutobi's group chose that exact moment to appear into the clearing, and joined their leader in the fray. Naruto couldn't believe how powerful the Old Man was! He moved like he wasn't even a day past twenty!

Shisui chuckled as he noticed Naruto's dumbfounded expression.

"Believe it or not, Naruto-kun," he began, causing Naruto to look at him, still slack-jawed. "Lord Hokage was even more powerful when he was in his prime from what I've heard! What we're seeing now isn't even his absolute best; I'm sure of it!"

Naruto nodded absently as he turned his focus back on the fight, no massacre that was happening right before his eyes. The Root ninja fell like flies swatted out of the air! Naruto became so overwhelmed by the sheer power being displayed by the ANBU and the Old Man, he simply fell down on his butt, and continued to watch in a kind of transfixed stupor.

All the while, only one though ran through the boy's mind.

_'I'm going to be that strong someday: No! Even stronger!'_

* * *

><p>When the battle (if it could even be called such) ended, there was an eerie silence that was only permeated by the sound of heavy breathing from the Hokage's group. Sadly, not everyone loyal to the village leader made it out of the battle in one piece. There were several wounded, and a few ANBU and jounin lie dead, scattered amongst the bodies of even more fallen Root ninja.<p>

Naruto heaved and felt the contents of his stomach empty on the ground as he surveyed the carnage before him. He was surprised when Sasame placed a soothing hand on his back and rubbed it gently as he continued to throw up. When he was done, he looked up at her with bleary eyes and asked in a croaky voice:

"H-how are you not shocked by this, Sasame-chan?"

Sasame's face darkened as she too looked around at the bloodbath before her. She took a deep breath and sighed.

"I don't know if I told you this, Naruto-kun," she began in a sad whisper. "but I was there when my family was slaughtered and hunted down. I saw the bodies, I heard my f-family d-die..."

Sasame now had tears running down her cheeks.

"I-I can't say that I'm not s-shocked by all of this death, b-but...it's not new to me..."

Naruto's face fell into a frown of sorrow when he watched Sasame fall to her knees and begin to sob. He gathered her up into his arms and hugged her tightly, just like Mikoto did for him when he was sad. It seemed to work, because Sasame's sobs became less and less over time.

Anko and Shisui watched on with grim faces as they also looked out at the results of the battle. Being veteran shinobi by now, they were used to such a scene, but the sheer brutality in which the Hokage and ANBU had decimated Danzo's forces was most certainly something to be reckoned with.

Speaking of Danzo, the man had staggered to his feet, and now had one hand placed upon the large tree's trunk. Sarutobi gave his ANBU and jounin the order to hold, and strode towards the now-beaten man, regarding him with sorrow.

"We used to be so close, Danzo," Sarutobi sighed as he continued walking towards the Root leader, who glared contemptuously at him as he approached. "Literally, like two sides of the same coin. What happened to turn you...into this?"

Danzo snarled, as he hacked up another mouthful of blood.

"Two sides of the same coin!?" Danzo spat in reply. "A good metaphor, Hiruzen! But, you were the side that bathed in the light, while I worked from the shadows: all to make Konoha stronger! Better!"

Sarutobi shook his head sadly as he continued to stride towards Danzo.

"You call what has happened tonight, better?" He asked, gesturing to all of the fallen Root shinobi that lay strewn about, killed; fighting for a deranged cause.

Danzo's visible eye narrowed in rage.

"THEY WERE TOOLS TO BE DISPOSED OF AT MY LEISURE, HIRUZEN! THEY PLEDGED THEIR LOYALTY TO ME WILLINGLY WHEN I TOOK THEM IN WHEN NO ONE ELSE WOULD! SPARE ME THIS TALK OF COMPASSION YOU ALWAYS SEEM TO SPEW! SHINOBI ARE TOOLS! YOU KNOW THIS!"

Sarutobi stopped when he was only a few meters away from Danzo.

"Shinobi are human, Danzo," Sarutobi said with an icy tone. "Kunai are tools. Do not mistake them for the same thing!"

Danzo spat out some blood and sneered at Sarutobi, as he adjusted his body using the tree trunk as support.

"And there you go again," Danzo hissed spitefully. "Going on about love and understanding again! Your ideals are the reason why Konoha is so weakened right now! You are a cancer that is infecting the great tree that is our village! You and all of your weak-willed supporters need to be eradicated, so that Konoha can grow healthy again, once more!"

Sarutobi narrowed his eyes as he went through a series of complex handsigns.

"If what you say is true," Sarutobi replied coldly. "Then we have nothing to discuss anymore. You are a threat to Konoha and _you _ must be eliminated. To borrow from your 'tree analogy' if I am a cancer infecting the tree, then what does that make you?"

Danzo said nothing as he too began to go through handsigns.

"LET ME SHOW YOU THE TRUE POWER OF KONOHA! **MOKUTON (WOOD RELEASE)**...!

Sarutobi's eyes widened in alarm as he quickly discontinued his handsigns.

"Danzo!" Sarutobi snarled in outrage. "You didn't-!"

Danzo laughed wickedly.

"Ah! But I _ did _ Hiruzen!" He cackled. "i implanted the cells of the First Hokage into my own body to gain his incredible ability to use Mokuton! And now: DIE! **MOKUTON:** **SASHIKI NO JUTSU! (WOOD RELEASE: CUTTING TECHNIQUE!)**

From Danzo's right arm, a long, pointed spear of wood seemed to splinter right off of his skin, until it was at least five feet long. He aimed it as one would a gun, and cried:

"AND NOW, MY OLD FRIEND, WE END THIS!"

Sarutobi quickly summoned a single kunai from beneath his robes and ran towards Danzo at full speed. Danzo fired off his projectile, and it sailed at lightning speed at the aged Hokage. Sarutobi barely managed to twist to his right, although the spear caught part of his trailing arm as he did so, clipping it and causing a spray of blood to erupt from the wound. Gritting his teeth in both pain and determination, Sarutobi continued to dash towards his old rival, whose only visible eye widened in alarm. With an almighty roar, Sarutobi thrust his kunai forward and...

SPLAT!

There was a large geyser of blood that erupted, and Sarutobi's eyes widened in alarm.

_'What had he done!?'_

**AN:**** All I have to say is: stayed tuned for the conclusion of the 'Dammit, Danzo! Arc', and let me know what you thought about the chapter!**


	40. Chapter 40

**AN:**** And after all that everyone, we have reached the last chapter of the Fox's Shadow! But don't fret: there will be a second installation, obviously! As always, I really do appreciate everyone who had read and reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. It means a lot to me! Hope you enjoy the end of the 'Dammit, Danzo! Arc' and look forward to the Epilogue for this story! **

**Chapter 40:**

Sarutobi looked at the end of his outstretched arm in shock and no small amount of horror. He had not meant for this to happen!

He pulled his hand back quickly and caught the body that toppled forward into his outstretched arms and looked up at Danzo with a mixture of rage and sorrow.

"Danzo..." Sarutobi began in a quavering tone. "Y-you...BASTARD!"

Danzo smiled ruefully as he used his non-wooden arm to wipe the specks of blood that had splashed him off of his face.

"I told you, Hiruzen," Danzo began in a triumphant tone. "Shinobi are tools..."

He looked down at the body that had gotten between him and what would have been his end.

"Sai knew this."

* * *

><p>Naruto watched in horror as Sai used a Kawarimi (replacement) to switch places with a splinter piece of Danzo's Mokuton jutsu that fell off just as the man shot, to get between his master and the Hokage at just the last moment.<p>

He balled his fists in rage and glared at Danzo, who was laughing.

"Y-YOU BASTARD!" Naruto screamed, beginning to charge at the mummified man. Fortunately for Naruto (although he would argue this) Anko grabbed him by the back of his vest as he tried to attack Danzo and pulled him back hard.

"ANKO-SENSEI!" Naruto roared, tears running down his face. "LET ME GO! I'M GOING TO KILL DANZO! I SWEAR I'LL-"

Anko dropped Naruto down on his butt and turned on him with a glare that made the boy flinch in terror.

"SHUT THE HELL UP, NARUTO!" Anko roared back in response. "YOU'LL JUST GET YOURSELF KILLED! DO YOU THINK ANYONE WANTS YOU TO DO THAT!?"

Naruto got over his terror, and got to his feet, gritting his teeth in fury.

"I don't care..." Naruto said softly, each syllable trembling with unfocused rage. "DANZO HAS TO PAY!"

Anko grabbed Naruto by the collar of his vest and hauled him to his feet.

"THEN LOOK!" Anko snarled, turning the boy so that he could see Danzo. "SAI HAS THE SITUATION WELL AT HAND!"

Naruto's glare softened at his teacher and he did as he was told. When he did however, his mouth opened in a silent scream.

* * *

><p>Sai had never felt so much pain in his entire life. The Hokage's forward trust with his kunai had actually pierced right through his midsection, and when the man pulled out his arm, Sai felt every single one of his nerves scream out in an explosion of pain.<p>

He fell forward into the elderly Hokage's arms, but quickly pushed himself off, with his remaining strength. There was still one last thing he had to do.

* * *

><p>Danzo laughed wickedly as he watched Sai take Hiruzen's killing blow for him. He casually wiped the boy's splattered blood off of his face as he sneered at his long-time rival.<p>

"I told you Hiruzen," he said triumphantly. "Shinobi are tools!"

And what a wonderful tool Sai had turned out to be! He had become suspicious of the boy when he did not report back to him after he had sent him out to track down Uzumaki with his squad; but it was of no consequence now. The boy had served his purpose most beautifully. What better way for a loyal agent of his to die than to put himself in the direct line of fire to save his master's life! Sai had given him the chance he needed to finish off Hiruzen once and for all!

But that was not to be it seemed.

No sooner had Danzo averted his eyes from the boy's motionless corpse to look back ruefully at his rival, his entire mid-section burst into throes of agony.

Glancing down, he instantly found the source of his anguish: a tanto was shoved right into his gut! Tracing the source of the weapon, he found in the hands of the person he last expected it to be in...

"SAI!" He screamed, coughing up a glob of blood. "Y-YOU...!"

* * *

><p>Sai smiled as he stabbed his master in the stomach. This was the last, and most important part of his plan. He had to make sure if he died: he took Lord Danzo with him.<p>

Pushing with all of his remaining strength, he made sure the blade went further and further in before twisting the blade with an almighty roar. Danzo screamed in pain, as the sword effectively did it's last job.

Blood running from his mouth, the elderly man glared hatefully at Sai and bellowed:

"SAI! Y-YOU...!"

Sai smiled wider as he met Lord Danzo's gaze. This man had saved his life by giving him a purpose, something to live for; but yet: he was far from someone Sai would ever respect or be grateful to. Lord Danzo had effectively tortured Sai and all of the other recruits in his attempt to make them into his ideal of the perfect shinobi: cold, ruthless, logical, and effective. Sai thought it only right that he display all four of these aspects as he downed the man that had tried to ruin the only bright point in his life: Shin.

"F-forgive me, Lord D-Danzo," Sai stammered, as he felt his body get hit by a wave of pain. "B-but...I regret _nothing_!"

And with that, the boy let go of his blade and stumbled forward again, only to land in the gentle embrace of the Hokage's arms.

* * *

><p>Sasame watched on with a sort of transfixed horror as she watched Sai effectively end Danzo's life. She was certain that there were tears of sorrow running down her face, but she didn't care to do anything about it. She felt so numb inside she was surprised she even noticed the tears in the first place.<p>

Why had Sai done it?! Was there no other alternative?

She realized in that moment that killing Danzo must've been what Sai meant by the 'last past of his plan'. Sasame couldn't believe it. Sai had done so much to make sure she and Shin were able to get out of the base safely, sacrificed so much just to never get to reap the benefits. It wasn't fair. It definitely wasn't right. But, it was too late for her to do anything about it.

Sasame watched, as if in slow-motion, as her pale-skinned friend fell limply into the outstretched arms of the Hokage, who caught him with a gentleness she was shocked to see in the heat of battle. She waited with baited breath, hoping that Sai would move again, at least show some sign that he could possibly pull through; but she waited in vain.

She glanced over insensibly at her other friend and saw fresh tears of anguish running down his whiskered cheeks. All at once, the reality of the situation hit her: Sai really was gone.

It was as if someone flipped a switch somewhere inside her that turned all of his senses, emotions, and time itself back to normal. She let out a scream of sorrow as she gazed at the bravest, most selfless person she had ever met laying motionless in the arms of their village leader.

Without thinking she began to run towards Sai, and was surprised when she noticed that Naruto easily passed her. She then realized that Naruto must be feeling even worse than she did about the boy's sacrifice. They had parted on bad terms, and Naruto didn't even understand the full scope of why Sai had done what he had. She focused her gaze off of her friend and focused on the one that needed her most right now.

* * *

><p>It was several minutes later when Sai opened his eyes, and immediately wished he didn't. He couldn't feel anything: not his arms, his legs, or his body in general, past the massive amounts of pain he was in. Pain was his existence at the moment, and he almost chuckled at the thought. How ironic that Shin had saved him from the fate that the silver-boy now suffered, only for Sai to purposely put himself in a similar state anyways.<p>

The next thing Sai noticed where the many blurry faces that now crowded his field of vision. He blinked slowly, and his vision cleared slightly to reveal the faces of: Naruto, Sasame, Anko, the Hokage, and Shisui.

It was Naruto who spoke up first, tears running down his face.

"SAI!" He bellowed. Sai would've winced from the boy's volume, if his body wasn't already doing an excellent job at it anyways. "WHY'D YOU DO IT!? WHY!?"

Sai watched as Sasame bopped the whiskered boy on the head softly causing him to look at her ruefully.

"Hey!" Naruto countered. "What the hell, Sasame-chan!"

The girl shot him a look of the utmost irritation.

"Quiet down, Naruto-kun!" She admonished. "The last thing Sai needs is you screaming!"

Naruto's face fell into a pout, but he conceded to the girl's sage words. The next person to speak was the Hokage, who leaned over Sai with a mournful look upon his face.

"Sai," he began kindly. "I am so sorry that this has happened. I did not intend to strike you..."

Sai smiled weakly, and opened his mouth to reply but was surprised when nothing came out at first. Squinting his eyes in effort, he eventually was able to mutter out a response.

"I-It's o-okay, L-Lord H-Hokage..." Sai gasped. He was astonished how brittle his voice sounded to him. "N-Needed t-t-to f-finish plan..."

Sarutobi's face contorted into a look of bewilderment.

"Plan?" He asked softly. "What plan is this?"

It was Sasame who answered for Sai, and the boy was thankful. He didn't think he had nearly enough strength to begin to explain.

"I can answer that question for you, Lord Hokage." She answered softly, casting a sad look at Sai, who despite his pain, smiled slightly.

And so, Sasame explained Sai's plan to the group at large. All of his purposeful deceptions, lies, and betrayals. All of it just to save the life of his closest friend and to end the life of a tyrannical man.

* * *

><p>When Sasame finished, she was sobbing, but Naruto quickly pulled her into a hug. Sai was glad that the two of them had each other: they would need one another to pull through whatever lay ahead of them, just like Sai had with Shin. He had no doubt in his mind that Naruto would have it the worst. He never found out why, but he had the distinct feeling that Naruto was forced to carry a burden so large, it would crush even the strongest person alive, but yet; even at seven, Sai couldn't believe how strong-willed the boy already seemed to be.<p>

"W-where i-is S-Shin...?" Sai breathed, directing the question at Sasame, who glanced down miserably. She glanced away from Sai, causing the boy to follow her gaze. His eyes momentarily widened when he saw the limp body of his dearest friend being carried by a mournful looking Anko, who set Shin's near-lifeless body gently on the grass next to him.

Sai felt his eyes well up with tears of anguish as he looked at his friend's face. Everything he had done was to save Shin from the poor excuse of a life they had with Lord Danzo. Sai began to think that all of his efforts were in vain: Shin had not made it through after all, and that caused Sai no small amount of grief.

Imagine the pale-skinned boy's surprise, when Shin's eyes opened weakly, and the silver-haired boy smiled at him.

"W-we m-made it, S-Sai." Shin whispered weakly, still smiling.

Sai felt his lower lip tremble, and fresh tears roll down his face. He nodded as much as he was able to. He knew that Shin and himself did not have much longer in this world, but the sheer fact that they were here together, free of Lord Danzo and Root, meant the world to him. He couldn't ask for anything more.

"Y-yeah." Sai croaked through his sobs.

Shin smiled as he took a shuddering breath.

"Freedom i-is n-nice, isn't i-it, S-Sai?" He asked, his voice barely audible now.

Sai smiled as he thought back to when he had promised Shin that they would escape Root together.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback:<strong>

It was one week after the duel that had crippled Shin, and Sai sat next to his best friend's bed. He had slipped away during routine drills while Lord Danzo attended a meeting of some sort with the Hokage, and hastily made his way to the sealed room that his friend was kept in.

He looked mournfully at Shin, who lay motionless on his bed, his silver-hair splayed across his blankets in a tangled mess, and bandages wrapped hastily over his body. Sai had done most of the wrapping; he had been appalled at the mediocre job the doctor Lord Danzo had commissioned to treat Shin had done with actually fixing the boy up. Since he had little to no medical skills whatsoever, Sai had done his best to wrap up the more serious gashes and wounds on his friends body, and make sure that he changed the bandages each time he visited. It would not do much to help Shin, but Sai didn't care: he owed the boy that much and more.

For Sai could have easily been in the same position as Shin now, if their positions were reversed during the duel. Sai could have never struck a killing blow to the only person he cared about, consequences be damned. Shin had proven that he felt the same exact way, and because of his beliefs, he was punished severely.

Sai grit his teeth as he looked at Shin, who would shiver from time to time in throes of pain from the injuries he sustained, even though he was most likely unconscious. Sai lowered his head as he balled his fists and shook.

"Shin," Sai began in a harsh whisper. "I promise I'll get us out of here. Even if I have to die, I'll-I'll figure out a way! T-This shouldn't have happened to you...It shouldn't have to happen to anyone! It's Lord Danzo's fault! I'll make him pay for this...and we'll both get out of here!"

Sai was shaken from his inner thoughts when he heard Shin chuckle, although it was barely a whisper. He glanced up quickly and saw his friend's eyes were open, and he had a crooked smile on his bruised face.

"F-Freedom s-sounds n-nice, S-Sai..."

**End Flashback:**

* * *

><p>Sai glanced at Shin and smiled weakly in return.<p>

"I-It sure i-is..." He replied.

Sai closed his eyes and thought about everything he had done to make it to this point. He had hurt so many people, betrayed their trust, and manipulated his way into people's confidence just to further his plan. As he thought it, he had a troubling realization: his methods at going about things were no different than Lord Danzo's! The sheer idea terrified him to no end.

As if Shin could read his thoughts, the boy remarked:

"Y-you're n-not like Danzo...Y-you didn't d-do this f-for power...Y-you d-did it to help others...l-like m-me..."

Sai's eyes widened as he turned his head slowly to look at Shin. The boy smiled widely at him, and Sai couldn't help but think it was amazing that Shin could be so happy when they were both on the verge of death itself. Sai frowned. Shin had probably been prepared to die for a long time now: it was only a matter of time to him.

"T-thanks, S-Shin." Sai replied softly.

Shin laughed weakly, causing Sai to notice something he hadn't before. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"S-Shin! Y-You're s-seal: i-it's gone!" Sai remarked in awe.

Shin smiled and nodded.

"Y-Yours i-is too." He replied, causing Sai's eyes to widen even further.

Sai felt new tears replace his old ones. Then they were finally free, after all. The seal on their tongues was a symbol of their servitude to Lord Danzo, a symbol of their enslavement to his cause. With the wicked man's death, the seal must have lost its' power!

"T-Thank K-Kami." Sai breathed weakly, turning his head to look up at the stars in the night sky.

He heard Shin chuckle again, although it sounded so weak it resembled a huff of breath.

"W-We can t-thank H-Her t-together," Shin replied quietly. "W-We're g-gonna see Her s-soon a-anyways..."

Despite the morbid statement, Sai found himself chuckling slightly.

"A-as long a-as w-we go together, m-my friend."

Shin was quiet for several minutes before he breathed out:

"A-Always..."

* * *

><p>Sai's last memory of life was a happy one. He was surrounded by people who all came to see him as an ally, not an enemy. He was also surrounded by two children his age that had reached out to him, calling him a friend. And most importantly: Shin and himself were finally free to accept death on their own terms. Sai thought briefly of the Root ninja he had seen cut his own throat rather than be killed by the Hokage's ANBU. At the time, even though Sai understood that his fellow operative wanted to end his life on his own terms, he still found it to be somewhat cowardly. But now: he understood. Getting the freedom to choose was what made life so special. And for Sai and Shin, getting to choose to leave this world: free, and together when they were going to die regardless, was probably the greatest feeling Sai had ever felt, as he closed his eyes.<p>

* * *

><p>While Shin and Sai spoke quietly to one another as they breathed their final breaths, no one said a word.<p>

Naruto found that, for once in his life, he simply _couldn't_. He couldn't believe the enormity of the sacrifice Sai had made, just to be able to gain freedom from a life he did not want himself; or his best friend to have to suffer through anymore. Was this what it meant to be a shinobi? Was death really all that awaited Naruto on this path?

Naruto shook his head. That couldn't be all that there was to it. There had to be something more. He glanced at the peaceful faces of Shin and Sai as they lay lifeless, side by side, and suddenly realized something.

Sai was bale to accomplish his dream of freedom because he had something worth fighting for; even if he had to go through the adversity of fighting against the very man that gave him the skills to ultimately accomplish that. Itachi had wanted to save the Uchiha Clan and Konoha as a whole, because he believed that everyone in the village was his family: not just the Uchiha. The Old Man had said something similar to what Itachi had declared earlier while facing off with Danzo: that Konoha was his family and he would do anything to protect it!

What was Naruto becoming a shinobi for?

He looked around at everyone gathered: Anko-sensei, Shisui-nii, Sasame-chan, The Old Man and his ANBU...They all meant something to him in some way or another. Some more than others, but still: they all were worth protecting. He thought about Mikoto, Itachi and Sasuke; his family. He would do anything to protect them too.

But how could he do that as a shinobi? Would he even become strong enough to protect them?

He watched as the Old Man sighed, slowly got to his feet and began to walk away. Naruto followed him with his eyes, wondering where he was going. He got his answer at once, and the mere sight that fell before him made his anger return ten-fold:

Danzo was still alive!

* * *

><p>Sarutobi sighed as he cast one last glance at the bodies of two children that deserved so much better. Sai and Shin: two perfect examples of the Will of Fire; extinguished. He regretted it immensely. The two boys would have grown into fine Konoha ninja if given the chance, but it was not to be.<p>

He turned his gaze when he felt a faint chakra signature emanating from the tree trunk where he had left his rival, broken and defeated by his own ninja's hand, only to see the man slowly trying to crawl away from the scene.

The sight of Danzo's act filled Sarutobi with unbridled rage. Keeping his gaze fixed coldly on the body of the wicked man, Sarutobi made his way over to Danzo with heavy steps. When he had positioned himself right in front of the old advisor's body, he stopped.

"Going somewhere, Danzo?" Sarutobi growled as he glared down at the bandaged man.

Danzo weakly lifted his head up and sneered at him.

"I will not be killed by the likes of someone so weak! Not by you Hiruzen!" He growled, hatred in every syllable.

Sarutobi frowned at his once friend, now bitter rival. They really had been the best of friends when they were younger. Everything changed that night when the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju had appointed him, Sarutobi as the Leaf's Third Hokage. Danzo had become cold and distant, and ridiculed his every decision whenever possible. He manipulated and connived, stole and cheated, just to gain the same sort of prestige that Sarutobi had not asked for; yet been given. Danzo had not accomplished his goal: no, he was far from what he perceived to be the true nature and power of the position of Hokage. But the man was too blind to see it. He _refused _to see it. Sarutobi knew that the man, if allowed to live would only continue trying to wrest power from him, or any of his successors until he ruled Konoha with an iron fist. Then, truly: would Konoha decay.

"I remember you saying that I was a cancer to the village, Danzo," Sarutobi said quietly as the man continued to glare up at him. "But you are wrong. I am simply the trunk that supports the many budding leaves that is the future of our village: not the tree itself, as you so put it."

Danzo spat up a glob of blood.

"I-I ONLY D-DID WHAT WAS BEST FOR THE VILLAGE!" Danzo roared, his mouth filling with blood as he yelled. The mere sight made Sarutobi almost pity the man, if it weren't for the heinous atrocities he was guilty of.

"You did what was best for yourself!" Sarutobi countered coldly. "I am not the cancer that infects the great tree of Konoha, nor are you! But-"

Sarutobi's speech was cut off when a kunai with a paper-bomb whizzed right past him and embedded right into Danzo's back. Danzo's eyes widened as his gaze roved from the spot in his back where he was hit to a position far in front of him. As the paper-bomb began to ignite, Danzo snarled and growled out:

"**YOU!"**

* * *

><p>Sarutobi quickly performed a shunshin to get out of the blast radius when the paper-bomb exploded. And explode, it did. Debris flew everywhere and smoke filled the air.<p>

When the dust cleared, Sarutobi was shocked to see that the great tree that Danzo was in front of now had a large part of it carved out from the force of the blast. Amazingly, the tree remained standing. What shocked him even more was the person he saw standing several meters away:

"You!" Sarutobi shouted at the figure.

"Me." Replied the voice of the shadow, who stepped towards the aged leader.

* * *

><p>Naruto quickly dove for the ground when he saw the paper-bomb hit Danzo square in the back, as did the others. Anko shoved Sasame down with her, while Shisui tried his best to shield Shin and Sai's bodies from getting blown away from the blast. There was a deafening explosion and a bright flash of light, and then nothing, except the sound of small fires and debris falling from the blast area.<p>

When the smoke cleared enough to see, everyone stood transfixed in shock when they all saw the shadow step out into the clearing, facing the Hokage who bellowed:

"You!"

The shadow simply answered:

"Me."

Naruto couldn't believe it. What was his shadow doing here!? Why did it kill Danzo!?

"HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, YOU BASTARD!" Naruto bellowed.

The shadow looked idly in his direction and chuckled.

"Hello, Naruto-kun." It said with mirth. "Why, all I was doing was pulling up roots!"

Naruto snarled at the pun the shadow had made. Did it think that all of the lives lost here were just a big joke? He got even angrier when he realized that if the shadow had come earlier, Sai might still be alive!

"IF YOU WERE GOING TO KILL DANZO, WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST DO IT EARLIER!?"

The shadow remained silent for several moments as it regarded Naruto.

"I feel like doing it then, honestly." the shadow replied casually, causing Naruto's rage to increase. Visible tendrils of red chakra began to pour out of Naruto's body, alarming everyone in the vicinity, except the shadow, who showed no reaction whatsoever.

Naruto roared and began to charge the shadow on all fours, a red cloak slowly starting to envelop him. He didn't care how, but he was going to rip that mask right off the shadow's face and then kill it.

* * *

><p>Sasame cried out in alarm when she saw the visible red chakra begin flowing out of Naruto. She wasn't sure how, but she could feel a tremendous amount of hatred and malice radiating from the chakra itself; as if it had a will of it's own!<p>

"A-Anko-chan," Sasame stammered, turning to the older woman. "W-What's going on!?"

Anko bit her lower lip in worry and turned to Sasame.

"Don't be afraid of Naruto, Sasame-chan," Anko said quietly. "And as for what's going on, you'll have to ask Naruto."

Sasame narrowed her eyes suspiciously, despite the situation, as she turned to watch her friend rush off at the mysterious figure that had just appeared.

She was utterly bewildered and terrified; but curious as well. Why did everyone seem to know who that person was? And why had the mere sight of them cause Naruto to fly off the handle like that? She grasped at her head in confusion. There was too much going on at once! She didn't understand!

Sasame watched as the shadow seemed to simply walk right through Naruto as if it were made from smoke!

"No way!" Sasame whispered. Anko looked down at her and nodded gravely.

"Naruto can't fight it," She explained. "None of us can. We don't know what it is, or how to deal with it, but we know what it wants..."

Sasame looked up at Anko with wide-eyes.

"I-It couldn't b-be Naruto-kun, right?" She asked desperately.

Anko's silence served as an answer to her question. Sasame gasped in a mixture of shock and horror. As if Naruto didn't already have enough people trying to get him! Now, he had this 'shadow' to deal with! Her mind whirled as she tried to figure out why everyone seemed to want to possess Naruto so much. Before, she wasn't sure at all why her friend seemed to be so special, but she was beginning to understand now. Danzo had called what was in Naruto a super-powerful weapon. And if this 'shadow' was after the same thing...

Did it have to do with the evil-feeling chakra surrounding Naruto?

"Anko-chan," Sasame said solemnly. "Did Danzo want to harness that chakra that's surrounding Naruto-kun? Is that what makes him so important?"

Anko flinched slightly in alarm. The girl was getting very close. She couldn't tell her, of course, but at this rate, with a little more investigation: Sasame would figure out Naruto's secret.

* * *

><p>Naruto roared in agitation as he tried desperately to swipe, punch, claw, and tackle his opponent, but to no avail. Everything he attempted simply passed right through the figure, who seemed to be toying with him.<p>

Naruto slid back on the ground, making a long trench in the dirt where his feet and hands hit.

"NARUTO-KUN!" Shouted Sarutobi. "STOP!"

Naruto looked at the Old Man, who was frantically trying to tell him something. For whatever reason though, Naruto couldn't understand what he was saying! All he knew at the moment was hatred. Hatred for this 'thing' in front of him.

Suddenly, Kurama chimed into his thoughts, momentarily distracting him.

**"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT CONTROLLING YOUR EMOTIONS!?" **The Fox roared in irritation. **"YOU ARE USING MY CHAKRA! AND YOU **_**CAN'T **_**YET! CALM DOWN BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!"**

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to do what Kurama had told him to. But it was hard. He had never felt so strong before. With this power he now controlled, he could very easily protect everyone that mattered to him! If he was only able to use Kurama's chakra earlier, he could have saved Sai!

Kurama cut back in.

**"NARUTO!" **Naruto was shaken by his tenant calling him by name. That had never happened before! **"I'M PULLING MY CHAKRA BACK FROM YOU. IT'S GOING TO HURT: A LOT, BUT I'D RATHER YOU BE IN PAIN FOR A WHILE THEN HAVE YOU KILL THE BOTH OF US! GET READY!"**

Naruto wanted to scream at the fox. Kurama couldn't take away this power now! He knew he could defeat his shadow once for all if he was just given a bit longer to fight!

**"FOOLISH!" **Kurama retorted. **"DON'T YOU REMEMBER WHAT THE SHADOW SAID WHEN IT ENTERED YOUR MIND!? IT SAID: 'NOT EVEN WITH MY POWER CAN YOU DEFEAT ME!' MY CHAKRA WON'T HELP YOU: NOR WILL YOUR IDIOTIC DESIRE TO KILL YOURSELF! I'M PULLING MY CHAKRA, NOW!"**

Naruto felt like someone had driven a spike in every single nerve in his body. He fell to his knees, screaming at the top of his lungs as he felt each drop of Kurama's chakra slowly leave him as it receded back into the seal on his stomach.

After several agonizing moments, the chakra completely disappeared, leaving Naruto completely drained of any energy whatsoever. He stared blankly at the shadow, who watched him unflinchingly, and then fell forward, only to be caught at the last moment by the last person he expected: Sasame.

* * *

><p>Naruto glanced up at her wide, concerned brown eyes, and couldn't resist cracking a smile; even though it felt like someone had stabbed him with a rusty kunai as he did so.<p>

"S-Sasame-chan." Naruto said in a raspy voice, no doubt due to his over-exposure to Kurama's chakra. "I-I really m-messed up, huh?"

Sasame's lower lip trembled and she began to tear up.

"N-Naruto-kun," Sasame choked. "H-How...W-What w-was that-chakra...?"

Naruto froze in her arms and averted his gaze. He...he couldn't tell her! Sasame called his name, forcing him to look back at her.

"T-Tell me." She insisted.

Naruto was baffled at what to do, luckily: he had some help.

**"This is the last favor I do for you today, brat." **Kurama grumbled. Using a tiny bit of his chakra, he pushed just enough through Naruto's seal to signal his body to shut down in preservation mode. As Naruto felt his world go black, he felt horrible for not telling Sasame the truth. From all of the time he spent with the girl, and everything the two of them had gone through together, he was sure that she was someone he could trust with his secret. But by the time he realized this, everything went dark.

* * *

><p>Sarutobi quickly ran over to Sasame, who was cradling Naruto in her arms, sobbing quietly. When he arrived he examined the boy's body and was surprised to see that Naruto was only fast asleep. He sighed with relief. From what he knew about Jinchuuriki, it was extremely dangerous for one to call upon their tenant's chakra without the proper training; not to mention at such a young age. He was glad that Naruto survived!<p>

His relief melted away when he fixed his gaze on the shadow, who was still watching Naruto and Sasame a few meters away. It was not making any moves to do anything, but that didn't comfort the wise Hokage. The shadow couldn't be trusted, even if it did help get rid of Danzo.

"What is your aim?" Sarutobi asked the shadow suspiciously.

The shadow turned it's masked visage on him, and Sarutobi had to resist the urge to shudder. There was something very disturbing about the shadow's aura. It's chakra was...odd, for lack of a better term.

"We've been over this, Hiruzen Sarutobi," it drawled in an annoyed tone. "I need the boy for my plans. But not just yet."

Sasame sat Naruto down on the cool grass gently and stood up, facing the shadow with an angry glare.

"Hasn't Naruto-kun suffered enough from people like you!" She shouted in anguish. Sarutobi was momentarily shocked by how little fear the girl showed. It took him a moment to comprehend it, but he realized that her fear of the shadow must have been overshadowed by her anger at the current moment. "You're just like Danzo! You just want Naruto-kun for your own selfish reasons!"

The shadow turned to look right at Sasame, and the girl began to shudder.

"You wound me, Sasame-chan." The shadow replied casually. "I am nothing like Danzo. If anything, I am the exact same as Naruto-kun..."

Sasame's eyes flared with anger.

"YOU'RE NOTHING LIKE NARUTO-KUN!" She bellowed, shaking in a mixture of anger and disgust at the mere idea.

The shadow said nothing as it slowly shook it's head back and forth.

"I don't have time to argue with you, Sasame-chan." The shadow said coldly, causing the girl to step back in fright. It then turned back to Sarutobi.

"Since Naruto-kun has once again shown how foolish he can be, and is now unable to hear it, I will pass my message on to you, Hiruzen Sarutobi..."

Sarutobi narrowed his eyes at the masked figure.

"And what would that message be?"

The shadow looked up at the sky for a moment, as if wondering if it should actually tell him.

Sarutobi wasn't in the mood to be toyed with.

"WELL!?"

The shadow lowered it's gaze and fixed it's focus back on him.

"An old friend is going to visit you in a few years," it said cryptically. "Make sure Naruto-kun doesn't die."

Sarutobi balled his fists in anger as the shadow turned it's back on him and began to walk away.

"What are you talking about!?" He demanded. He had experienced a lot in his years, but he had never dreamed that he'd ever meet something he couldn't at least comprehend. The shadow was the first.

The shadow turned around slightly to look at him and simply replied:

"You'll see..."

It turned back around again and continued walking, slowly melting into black wisps as it did so. Sarutobi watched on in anger. Was the shadow an ally or an enemy!? From what Naruto had told him, it had warned him about the Uchiha's plans, and now it had helped them dispose of Danzo! On the other hand however: it seemed hellbent on acquiring Naruto for some obscure plan it absolutely refused to divulge. Anything that threatened Naruto's safety couldn't be an ally, and the shadow had caused Naruto nothing but grief for the past year and some months since it first appeared!

"WHO ARE YOU!?" Sarutobi inquired, causing the shadow to turn around once more. Only it's masked face was still visible, as the rest of it's body had already dissolved.

It turned it's gaze on Naruto, who was resting peacefully on the ground.

"Who am I?" It replied.

"I am the Fox's Shadow. That's all you need to know."

**AN:**** And there you have it, folks! That pesky shadow will be back: no surprise there! Stayed tuned for the next story, which you'll need to go to my profile to find. I'm not exactly sure where it will show up on the New Stories list, so that will probably be faster for all of you. I hope you enjoyed Danzo's death: I know I did when I wrote it! HAHAHAHAHA! Thanks for reading, and stayed tuned for the Epilogue, which will be up later on in the night! Afroman007, signing out! And Happy New Year, Fanfiction Peeps!**


	41. Epilogue (Chapter 41)

**AN:**** As promised: here is the Epilogue to the first part of the story! The next part will be up...soon. MUWAHAHAHAHA. No, but seriously: it will be, so check my profile page to find it... Ah! just read the chapter! Final thoughts are appreciated!**

**Epilogue:**

Several days passed after the conclusion to the battle with Danzo. Some of these happy, and some sad.

One of the sadder events was the funeral of Sai and Shin. Sasame gave the obituary, although she had to be escorted from the stage by Anko when she broke down near the end of her speech. Naruto was especially quiet throughout the memorial service and afterwards, causing some people to wonder if he'd ever recover from the trauma of that night's events.

* * *

><p>In Naruto's opinion, he just couldn't face himself in the mirror without feeling guilty. He felt wholly responsible for Sai and Shin's deaths. His other friends and mentors had tried to dissuade him from thinking that way, but Naruto could see that if it wasn't for Danzo's obsession with obtaining Kurama for his own plans, then none of his friends would have gotten dragged into this mess. Later on in that same day, it was Sasame who had finally found him sulking next to the lake in the former Uchiha district and told him that if they never got involved, Sai's plan could have never succeeded and Shin would still be locked up, and left to die inside the Root base. She went on to tell him that he shouldn't feel any guilt for what happened, but instead: should feel happiness that Sai and Shin got what they always desired: freedom, regardless of the price they paid to obtain it. This cheered Naruto up somewhat, and he decided to make a very bold decision: one that would change his life forever.<p>

Naruto also got quite the surprise when he arrived home. Mikoto nearly bowled him over, weeping tears of joy that he was alright. Itachi admonished Naruto gently for making all three of them worry so much, and complained slightly about having to run all over the village all night, until he got word of what had happened at the Root base from Shisui. Itachi had wanted to join Shisui in the fray, but as clan head, he couldn't just run off and get into fights whenever he wanted. The lamest reaction from the Uchiha family was Sasuke, who told Naruto that even if he had a giant fox in his gut, it still wouldn't improve his aim with kunai, which made Naruto and Kurama both laugh. Sasuke went on to say that nothing had changed between them, and for that, Naruto was thankful. Naruto couldn't have felt happier: his family now knew his biggest secret, and he didn't even have to use his new sensory abilities to tell that all three Uchiha were being completely sincere. The mere fact that they all rushed him when he walked through the door after the incident with Danzo was enough proof that he had finally found a home.

* * *

><p>Sasame felt like a loser. She had totally made a fool out of herself at Sai and Shin's memorial service when she broke down in the middle of her speech. No one blamed her, nor judged: but Sasame felt completely embarrassed anyways. She smiled widely when she remembered where she was heading today however. She had received two invitations after the funeral, one right after she had messed up her eulogy from Anko, which was making her extremely happy, and another from Naruto.<p>

Naruto had been gloomy ever since the funeral had ended, and Sasame knew that he was most likely blaming himself for Sai and Shin's deaths. She sought out her whisker-cheeked friend all afternoon after the funeral, until she at last found him sitting on the dock of the large lake in the former Uchiha district. She convinced the boy, after several tries, that he needed to not blame himself and be happy that Sai and Shin both got what they wanted in the end. Naruto seemed to understand, and he began to cheer up considerably. He fell into a very solemn trance for a long while afterwards, while the two of them sat on the dock, but he snapped out of it and asked Sasame a question that puzzled and worried her at the same time. Naruto had asked if she would meet him on top of the Academy rooftop tomorrow evening, because he had something important to tell her.

She wondered what it could possibly be. She blushed for a moment and then shook her head. Naruto was way too dense to understand how she felt about him; he couldn't possibly want to tell her...

Sasame shook her head again vigorously, causing many villagers to look at her alarmingly as she passed them by on the street. Knowing that shew was making herself look like an idiot, she focused her thoughts on her current destination, and her heart filled with happiness.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback: Minutes after Sai &amp; Shin's memorial service:<strong>

Sasame was lead away from the podium by Anko, who let the girl cry on her shoulder. When Sasame had finally calmed down, and was ready to leave, Anko pulled her aside, blushing wildly.

Needless to say, Sasame was confused. _Very_ confused at the Snake Mistress' behavior.

"Anko-chan?" Sasame asked carefully. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Anko looked down at the ground, and kicked a small stone with her foot.

"N-Nothing's wrong!" Anko stammered. She took a deep, steading breath and then locked her eyes on Sasame. "I want to ask you two questions."

Sasame froze up. For some reason, she got the worst feeling that Anko was going to ask about her feelings for Naruto. She'd lie, and say that they were just friends, of course, but she had the distinct impression that Anko was incredibly keen at seeing through deception. It wasn't like she was Sai; she'd never be able to outwit a fully-fledged ninja.

"W-What a-are they!?" Sasame practically squeaked, causing Anko to cock her head in confusion, and then smile slyly.

"Oh?" She said with a knowing glint in her eyes. "Is there something you don't want to tell anyone about, Sasame-chaaan?"

Sasame shook her head frantically, causing Anko to burst out with a hearty laugh. She patted Sasame on the head affectionately and then said:

"Don't worry," She reassured. "I don't want to know who you have a crush on, or anything! Although I have a pretty good idea...Does he have blue eyes, blonde hair and-"

"ANKO-CHAN!" Sasame growled angrily, making Anko laugh once more.

"That's the spirit I like to see from you Sasame-chan!" Anko cheered. "Now: about those two questions..."

Sasame stopped scowling at the older woman and adopted a look of curiosity.

"Okay, first question!" Anko said officially. "Is it true that you live at the Konoha Orphanage?"

Sasame nodded glumly, causing Anko to frown. Then, she looked down at the ground again, her face as red as a tomato, causing Sasame to tilt her head in confusion.

"S-Second q-question." Anko stammered, causing Sasame to giggle at her embarrassment. Anko huffed indignantly and crossed her arms.

"What's so funny, brat!" Anko hissed, which made Sasame giggle even more.

"Why are you getting so flustered!?" Sasame asked, choking back another giggle at Anko's red face. Anko stomped on the ground hard, and averted her eyes.

"This is so much harder to do then I thought it would be!" She muttered, before she turned back to Sasame. "Okay, listen up!"

Sasame stood at mock-attention, causing Anko to get even more irritated.

"OKAY BRAT!" Anko bellowed. "I'LL JUST COME OUT AND ASK THEN! INSTEAD OF STAYING IN THE POOR EXCUSE OF A HOME THEY CALL AN ORPHANAGE: HOWWOULDYOULIKETOCOMESTAYWITHME!?"

Sasame blinked and tilted her head in bewilderment.

"What was that last part?" She asked slowly.

Anko, whose face had reached a new shade of red, took a slow breath in and sighed, averting her eyes from Sasame's gaze again.

"I said," she repeated hesitantly. "Instead of staying at the Orphanage, how would you like to come and stay with me, Sasame-chan?"

Sasame blinked again in confusion, and then the weight of what Anko's words hit her. She blinked again, but did so this time to stop the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

"OH MY KAMI: YES!" Sasame said ecstatically.

It was Anko's turn to blink until Sasame's affirmative answer finally struck her.

"REALLY? YOU REALLY WANT TO, SASAME-CHAN!?"

Sasame nodded again happily and Anko scooped her into a bone-crushing hug.

"HOORAY!" Anko cheered. "THIS WILL BE GREAT, I PROMISE!"

Sasame didn't try to hold back the tears of joy that came down her face when Anko hugged her. She had gotten what she wanted so much! A place she could really belong at in Konoha! She looked up at the sky as Anko spun her around and smiled. She had a feeling that when Shin and Sai met Kami Herself, they might've asked for a favor.

She would have to make sure to thank them when she finally joined them someday.

* * *

><p>Naruto stood on the roof of the Academy with the Uchiha family, Sarutobi, Anko, and Jiraiya waiting anxiously for everyone to show up. He had been pacing for the last few minutes, causing Sasuke no small amount of irritation.<p>

"Will you just relax!?" Sasuke finally bellowed after Naruto's one-hundredth and sixty-third turn. Yes: he had counted. Naruto turned on him and glared.

"I can't!" Naruto cried. "What will they think once I tell them!?"

Jiraiya placed a hand on Naruto's head and ruffled his hair.

"Gaki," He said softly. "You need to have a little faith. Now, I'm not going to lie to you when I say that I'm not sure if this is the best idea, but you need to believe in and count on your friends to support you."

Naruto lowered his head and nodded. Mikoto walked over to him next, knelt down, and embraced him.

"Regardless of what your friends' reactions are, know that we'll always be here for you, Naruto-kun. Okay?"

Naruto nodded again as she let him go.

Anko sauntered over and leaned on Naruto's head with her elbow, making the boy grumble irritably.

"Brat," she began with a weary sigh. "As annoying as you are..." This caused a growl from Naruto, which Anko ignored. "I kind of like you. So, regardless of what your little brat friends say, I'm with you all the way, alright?"

Naruto smiled, as he pushed Anko's elbow off of his head.

"Thanks, sensei..."

"No problem, Naruto." Anko replied, with a warm grin.

Naruto stood quietly for several minutes looking at everyone who supported him and then smiled widely.

"Thanks guys." He whispered, and then...Started pacing nervously again, much to Sasuke's ire.

* * *

><p>Finally, everyone Naruto had asked to come showed up on the Academy roof, all looking a bit bewildered and confused at why everyone else was there too. Ino pouted, saying that she was sure Naruto had asked her to meet him up here because he was finally going to confess his undying love to her, which created: several laughs, one slightly irritated Sasame, and a pale-as-a-ghost Naruto.<p>

Naruto asked everyone to sit down, and once they did he scanned the faces of the people he was about to reveal his biggest secret to.

There was Ino, Sakura, Sasame, Shikamaru, and Chouji. Kiba insisted on coming for some reason, even though Naruto didn't invite him. He had tried asking the Inuzuka boy politely to leave, but the boy refused. Sighing as he wrung his hands together nervously, Naruto finally looked up at everyone who watched him silently.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I called you all up here to meet me this evening..." Naruto began anxiously.

Kiba crossed his arms and bellowed:

"Get on with it already!"

He was met with cold, angry glares from everyone present, making him flinch. Ino and Sasame took it a step farther.

"KIBA: SHUT THE HELL UP!" They both bellowed in unison. They shared a smile of approval at their mutual reaction, and turned back to look at Naruto, who laughed nervously before continuing:

"Thanks, you two." He said to Ino and Sasame who beamed at him. Naruto faced the expectant crowd again and went on. "Well, I called you up here to tell you a secret that none of you know, but once you know the secret, you have to swear not to tell anyone, or else...Well, or else you'll be killed..."

"LIAR!" Kiba barked. "THERE'S NO SECRET _YOU_ CAN HAVE THAT WARRANTS DEATH!"

Sarutobi took Kiba's interjection as his cue to speak up.

"Actually, Kiba-kun, Naruto-kun is correct." He said, which caused shocked gasps from all around. Kiba's eyes widened and he shrunk slightly into his jacket. "This is in part due to the fact that I, myself put this law into effect. Anyone who divulges Naruto's secret, without his express permission will be executed. No if's and's or but's about it. Naruto?"

Naruto nodded gratefully at the Hokage who smiled warmly at him.

"Thanks for clearing that up, Old Man." Naruto replied. "Well, my secret goes back to the day I was born..."

Shikamaru interjected.

"When _were _you born, anyways, Naruto?"

Naruto blinked.

"Oh!" He said in surprise at Shikamaru's query. "Um, October tenth."

Shikamaru's eyes widened and he nodded, deep in thought.

Sarutobi and Jiraiya shared a knowing glance at the Nara boy's statement.

_'Boy's as sharp as his father.' _They both thought in unison.

Naruto shifted on his feet awkwardly, cleared his throat, and continued speaking.

"Anyway, I was born on the same day the Kyuubi attacked the village. Um, well; the Fourth Hokage is said to have killed the Kyuubi, saving the whole village...but that's not true."

Sakura tilted her head in confusion.

"What do you mean, Naruto?" She asked. "That's what we were taught in class..."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at the pink-haired girl.

"Don't you see, Sakura," he asked resignedly. "It's obviously not the real truth here..."

Ino giggled.

"Leave it to Sakura-chan to believe _everything _she reads in a book or learns in class..."

Sakura flushed scarlet and glared at Ino.

"Ino-chan!"

"I'm just kidding, Sakura-chan, jeez."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched in annoyance as all of his friends (minus Kiba) started talking amongst themselves.

Suddenly a very loud voice yelled:

"HEY, SHUT UP! NARUTO-KUN'S TRYING TO SPEAK!"

Naruto turned and was surprised to see Itachi was the one who yelled. Itachi cleared his throat and nodded with a smile at Naruto, who smiled crookedly.

"Um, thanks a bunch, Itachi-nii..." He said slowly. "But, Shikamaru's right Sakura-chan: that was just a cover-up story. The truth of the matter is you can't kill a Bijuu. They can only be sealed..."

"OH YEAH!?" Shouted Kiba, once again earning looks of contempt from everyone present, but not caring either way. "AND HOW THE HELL WOULD YOU KNOW THAT, LOSER!?"

Naruto glared at Kiba for a long while, before he sighed and patted his stomach, right where his seal was.

"I know," Naruto began sadly. "Because the Kyuubi, The Nine-Tailed Fox, is sealed inside of me..."

There was silence all around as everyone took in what Naruto had just said. Naruto braced himself for insults, declarations of terminating friendship, and even the lone ninja sandal to be thrown at him; but none of that happened. Finally, it was Sasame who replied:

"So?"

Naruto blinked at her, Did she just hear what he said!?

"Sasame-chan," Naruto began nervously. "Maybe it's because you're not originally from here, but-"

Sasame's eyes narrowed.

"I know what the Kyuubi is," Sasame retorted indignantly. "I'm not from so far away that my village didn't hear of it's attack on Konoha!"

Naruto blinked again at her.

"Oh..."

Sasame's face softened.

"What I'm saying, Naruto-kun," Sasame continued. Ino raised an eyebrow when she noticed that Sasame had added 'kun' onto the end of Naruto's name, rather than her usual 'san'. Her light blue eyes narrowed at the girl momentarily. "I don't care if you have Kami Herself sealed inside of you. You're still the same Naruto-kun I met, became friends with and-"

She blushed pink and stopped speaking. Ino, being the queen of dissolving awkward moments quickly cut in:

"Here, here!" She bellowed. "I agree with Sasame-chan!"

Sasame shot the girl a look of thanks, but Ino returned the look with a 'we are so talking after this' one.

Sakura nodded as well, along with Shikamaru and Chouji. Naruto felt like a gigantic weight was lifted off of his shoulders. He felt tears of happiness come to his eyes as he began to sob.

"T-Thanks s-so m-much you g-guys..." He breathed.

Everyone smiled at him, except Kiba, who sat silently, and refused to make eye-contact with him. Not like Naruto cared. He was too happy at the moment to care about much of anything, except that his classmates who mattered to him, didn't hate him!

Naruto wore a smile for the rest of their talk.

* * *

><p>As Naruto stood on the rooftop with Ino, Sasame, Itachi and Sasuke, their casual conversation was interrupted when Kiba marched over to Naruto and stopped right in front of him.<p>

"Kiba, I-" Naruto began, but the Inuzuka boy cut him off abruptly.

"I knew there was something strange about you when we first met. I thought you smelt like foxes, and I couldn't figure out why! I didn't like you at all when we met, and I don't like you even more now! I don't care if the others are brainwashed by you, and I'm not dumb enough to go spreading your secret around, but you are and will always be a demon fox to me! So you better not-"

Kiba's tirade was cut short when Itachi picked the boy up by the scruff of his shirt and promptly tossed him off the roof of the Academy building.

Everyone gasped in shock as they listened to Kiba's screams as he went sailing, until they heard a loud 'THUMP' sound, indicating that the boy had hit the ground below.

Sasuke turned on Itachi with wide eyes.

"ITACHI-NII!" He bellowed. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT!? YOU KILLED HIM!"

Itachi shook his head and indicated the exact point that he threw the feral-looking boy from.

"I made sure to throw him into a large clump of bushes. He won't die, and he _probably _won't break anything, but he will have some mean scratches and bruises to nurse when he gets back home."

Everyone looked slack-jawed at the older Uchiha boy, who crossed his arms indignantly.

"What?" Itachi demanded. "I don't like people talking smack on my little brothers. EVER."

Sasame was the first to find her voice.

"But...won't you get in trouble with Kiba's mom? Isn't she a clan head just like you?"

Itachi waved a hand dismissively at her question.

"Knowing Tsume-san, she'll agree that Kiba deserved it."

Ino gave Itachi an impressed look, while Naruto (still slack-jawed) was the last to speak. When he did, he smiled widely.

"Itachi-nii," he began happily. "That was AWESOME!"

Itachi smirked as he ruffled Naruto's hair.

"Anything for you, Naruto-otoutou (Little Brother)."

**Fin**

**AN:**** And that's a wrap everybody! I want to thank all of you for reading this story, and giving me your support and feedback along the way. I really can't express in words how glad I am that I decided to write this story. I hope it's been as much fun for you to read as it's been for me to write! For those interested, there will be a second part to this story, which will start right in the last year of the Academy and go onward through canon. That's right folks! Mizuki, Zabuza, The Chuunin Exams: you name it! So, check out my profile page to find the story, because (like I've said already) I have no idea how you'll find it on the new stories page when that thing updates at the speed of light. Haha. Anyways, ****Thanks for reading! And this is Afroman007 signing out for the last time! (For this story, that is!) ;)**


	42. Update on New Story!

Hey everyone!

The sequel to The Fox's Shadow is now up! It is called The Fox's Shadow: Part II and you can find it on my profile page! Be sure to add it, so you get alerts when the new chapters are posted!

-Afroman007


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